Ohtani Day-to-Day; Dodgers Manage Injuries

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts kept Shohei Ohtani out of the starting lineup for Thursday’s series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals after Ohtani appeared physically compromised in Wednesday’s 8-6, 10-inning loss. Ohtani reported lingering left knee soreness along with right biceps and neck discomfort, grimacing and shaking his arm as he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. Roberts said Ohtani is day-to-day, that an injured list stint is unlikely but “not impossible,” and that his availability for Friday against Washington depends on further conversations with training staff. The Dodgers are reassessing his stalled pitching progression after he was scratched from a potential start. While Los Angeles downplayed some offensive struggles, Roberts acknowledged Ohtani “has not been who he is” over the past couple weeks, and the club is weighing short-term decisions against protecting his health for the playoffs. Roberts noted a longer shutdown is being considered as needed, but did not commit to a season-ending rest plan.