Shohei Ohtani has not pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers since July 3, and his return remains uncertain due to lingering injuries. During a postgame interview on Tuesday, Ohtani admitted his left biceps is not fully recovered, in addition to his previously reported left knee issue. 'My biceps is not 100%,' Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. 'Just [a] similar issue with the knee. Do we consider pushing this? It is still July. So, I think the conversation would be a little different if we’re in August or September.'
Ohtani, who has continued as the team’s designated hitter, missed a scheduled bullpen session last Saturday after a 30-pitch side session in Philadelphia the previous Wednesday. He received an orthovisc injection in his knee on July 12 and skipped All-Star Game obligations to prioritize recovery. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts remains optimistic about Ohtani pitching again this season but acknowledged the challenges of rebuilding stamina after weeks of inactivity. 'We are getting closer to that,' Roberts said. 'You know, he’s a starting pitcher, and then, when you start missing three, four, five weeks of that build-up, then you’ve got to kind of start up again.'
Meanwhile, Dodgers utility player Kike Hernandez returned from his second stint on the injured list this season on Tuesday after recovering from a Grade 3 oblique tear. Hernandez avoided surgery and instead received a stem-cell injection, along with hyperbaric chamber treatments, sauna sessions, and cold tub therapy to accelerate his recovery. 'We had a great plan, attacked it the right way, and were rotating pretty early on to not let the scar tissue build up too much,' Hernandez said. 'So I think all that, when you add it together, is probably why I'm back as quickly as I have.'