The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without Shohei Ohtani in the rotation indefinitely after he received an Orthovisc shot in his left knee during the All-Star break.
Ohtani was having a great year on the mound, and losing him is a significant blow, but he is already taking steps to return. According to the California Post's Jack Harris, he played catch today, and Dave Roberts said the plan is for him to throw off a mound over the weekend.
The bright side about this injury is that it is not in his arm, and it seems to be something the Dodgers know they can manage. The reality is, the Dodgers have enough pitching to make the postseason and secure a bye without Ohtani pitching every five days. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow figure to return at some point, and they also have Justin Wrobleski, Eric Lauer, Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki.
They have a tremendous rotation even without Ohtani, and they could look to limit his innings before the postseason starts. Keeping him healthy is key, and they could start building him up in September if they choose to shut him down until then.
Ohtani has a 1.79 ERA on the season. He has made 14 starts and has worked 85 2/3 innings. He has gone at least six innings in all but one of his starts, and has 95 strikeouts on the year. 12 of his outings have been quality starts, and he is clearly one of the team's best arms.