Shohei Ohtani will not pitch on Thursday due to left knee soreness, with his return to the mound yet to be determined.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated today that the "two-way" phenom Shohei Ohtani will not take the mound as originally scheduled for Thursday's away game against the Phillies. To address the ongoing left knee discomfort that has lasted more than a month, he could sit out further pitching assignments.

The Dodgers expect Ohtani to pitch again later this season, but they are currently making a conscious effort to reduce his workload on the mound to allow more recovery time for his knee.

"Given where we are and the plan moving forward, I think this will take some time," Roberts said. "This isn't the kind of minor issue that requires daily monitoring."

Ohtani's knee issue first flared up again on June 11 during the Dodgers' game against the Pirates. Since then, he has felt persistent pain mainly while pitching, while his hitting has remained unaffected. As a result, he continued to make weekly starts until he was removed from the final start before the All-Star break on July 10. During the All-Star break, he received an Orthovisc lubricating injection in his knee, which unfortunately forced him to miss this year's All-Star Game in Philadelphia.

The Dodgers had hoped that the treatment, combined with four days of rest, would allow Ohtani to return to his normal two-way schedule, but they acknowledged that his ability to pitch would depend entirely on how his knee felt.

During a throwing session in New York over the weekend, Ohtani still experienced some discomfort, prompting the Dodgers to cancel his Thursday pitching start and potentially extend his absence. Given the Dodgers' comfortable lead in the NL West and the best record in Major League Baseball, the team believes there is no reason to sacrifice Ohtani's long-term health for short-term gains.

"Honestly, a lot of it depends on where we are and the good position we've built," Roberts said. "Could he tough it out? Sure. But at this point in the season, pitching now would clearly do more harm than good. So I think we still have plenty of time to get him back to full strength before he returns to the mound."

Here's how Ohtani's indefinite absence from the starting rotation affects the Dodgers:

Will Ohtani miss games as a hitter due to his knee injury?

As a left-handed batter, Ohtani's left knee serves as his back leg for support, while when pitching, it's his front landing leg. Therefore, this injury does not impact his hitting performance. The Dodgers currently see no reason to remove him from the lineup. Ohtani has been working with the pitching coach to adjust his delivery to reduce torque on his left knee, but the impact cannot be entirely eliminated.

How will the Dodgers fill the rotation spot left by Ohtani?

Maintaining a six-man rotation has been a core strategy for the Dodgers, but their 40-man roster is already stretched thin in terms of starting pitching depth. Fortunately, over the next three weeks, they have at least one full team off day each week, which should allow the current five starters to continue with extra rest. After that stretch, Blake Snell is expected to be nearing a return from the injured list. Snell has been sidelined since mid-May after undergoing surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow.

Will the Dodgers accelerate Snell's rehab to fill Ohtani's void?

Snell began his minor league rehab assignment yesterday, throwing 1.1 innings and 32 pitches for Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers prefer to gradually increase the workload for rehabbing starters until they reach about 5 innings and 75 pitches, so they will not rush Snell's process. He may need approximately three more rehab starts to reach that point. Earlier this season, the Dodgers had Snell cut short his rehab assignment by one start when he was returning from the injured list for left shoulder fatigue, and he ended up making only one major league start before his elbow issue flared up again.

Does this mean the Dodgers urgently need to acquire a starting pitcher?

Possibly, but it also depends on the progress of Snell and Tyler Glasnow. Glasnow has been on the injured list since May with back spasms. Counting Ohtani, that means three of the Dodgers' expected four playoff rotation core pitchers are dealing with health issues. Glasnow is improving, but his rehab is a few weeks behind Snell's. Before the August 3 trade deadline, the Dodgers may not need to aggressively pursue an ace-level starter, but the urgency to bolster pitching depth is now far greater than it was before the All-Star break.