Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was removed in the seventh inning of Thursday night’s 8-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates due to left knee inflammation. Before exiting, Ohtani delivered a flawless performance at the plate, hitting his 13th home run of the season, singling, walking twice, and scoring two runs.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts classified the substitution as strictly precautionary, speaking to reporters following the victory. Ohtani told the training staff he felt a slight issue behind his knee, prompting the team to pull him rather than risk further aggravation in a tight contest. Roberts expressed optimism that his designated hitter would be available for Friday’s series opener.
The injury scare compounded a bruising night for the Los Angeles pitching staff. Starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski left the game in the fifth inning with a right hamstring contusion after absorbing a 96.2 mph line drive and subsequently colliding with Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds.
Ohtani’s knee issue surfaces less than 24 hours after he pitched 6â…” innings against Pittsburgh. He currently holds a 6-2 record on the mound alongside a 1.06 ERA and 73 strikeouts, maintaining a pace previously recorded before his first physical scare of the 2026 campaign involving a bruised right hand in late May.
The Dodgers now travel to Chicago to face the White Sox in a critical matchup between division leaders. The immediate physical availability of their two-way star remains the primary focus heading into the weekend series.