Ohtani's pitching return timeline unclear as knee inflammation persists

Shohei Ohtani's highly anticipated return to the pitcher's mound is still on hold as he battles left knee inflammation. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that the Japanese superstar is nearing a point where he will need to rebuild his throwing intensity.

Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 due to the injury, participating only as a designated hitter. A scheduled bullpen session on July 25 was postponed. Roberts explained that an extended break from pitching, even for a few weeks, necessitates re-establishing throwing conditioning.

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Yes, it's getting close to that stage. He's a starting pitcher. If he goes three weeks, four weeks, five weeks without throwing, then he has to build back up to some extent.

Roberts noted that Ohtani still experiences some discomfort in his knee when landing and transferring weight during his pitching motion. Despite this, Ohtani has assured the team that running does not impact his knee. He continues to play as a hitter, where he has excelled this season with an 8-2 record, a 1.79 ERA, and 95 strikeouts in 85.2 innings pitched.

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He says that running is not affecting the knee.