The Los Angeles Dodgers will not have Shohei Ohtani in the lineup on Thursday night against the St. Louis Cardinals.
On Wednesday, Ohtani clearly wasn't at full strength.
It's been clear for a bit that Ohtani is banged up and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shared that Wednesday's game was the "tip of the iceberg," as shared by The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.
“Tonight was kind of the tip of the iceberg,” Roberts said. "I’ve seen it over the last couple weeks, where he hasn’t been who he is.”
Now, Ohtani is out of the lineup a day later.
Tonight's #Dodgers lineup vs. Cardinals: pic.twitter.com/77gpgH4iyi
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 3, 2026
Ohtani has carried the load for the Dodgers, despite the fact that he hasn't been at full strength for a while. The two-way superstar has dealt with left knee inflammation and right biceps discomfort for months. Still, he has 6.5 wins above replacement, 30 homers, 80 RBIs, and a 148 OPS+, meaning he has been 48 percent better than the average hitter.
But, again, he hasn't been at full strength. What's most important at this point is determining a path forward to get him as healthy as possible ahead of the playoffs. If that means days off throughout the final few weeks of the season, so be it. The Dodgers need this guy above all else.
Los Angeles made the right call giving him a rest on Thursday. There should be more to come.