LOS ANGELES — For almost any pitcher, an 8-2 record and a 1.79 ERA would look like the beginning of a stretch run. For Shohei Ohtani, those numbers may instead be the closing line of his 2026 season on the mound.
Ohtani said after returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup Monday night that he will “most likely” not pitch again this season and will focus on hitting. The comment stops short of a formal shutdown, but it turns a shrinking possibility into the clearest public indication yet that the two-way star’s pitching year is probably over.
The development matters far beyond one rotation spot. Ohtani was not merely surviving on the mound before a series of physical problems interrupted his season—he was delivering elite results while also carrying a major offensive role.
A remarkable pitching line may be final
Across 14 starts, Ohtani went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA, 95 strikeouts and a 0.95 WHIP in 85 2/3 innings, according to his official MLB player page. He has not appeared as a pitcher since July 3.
Those numbers make the likely ending unusually abrupt. Ohtani’s ERA remained below two, and the Dodgers had spent weeks leaving open the possibility that he could rebuild toward another start. He threw a bullpen session on August 28, but the comeback path did not continue.
MLB’s Dodgers coverage reported that Ohtani had not thrown since that bullpen session and that the deterioration in his health and performance appeared to coincide with his pitching buildup. The league’s Dodgers injury tracker, updated September 7, now lists his expected return as a pitcher as “likely 2027.”
Why the mound plan unraveled
The central concern has been soreness in Ohtani’s left knee—his landing leg when he pitches. He has also dealt with right biceps discomfort, and neck soreness contributed to his recent absence from the batting order.
Ohtani missed four consecutive games before returning as the designated hitter against the Cincinnati Reds on September 7. He went 0-for-3 with a walk in the Dodgers’ 6-3 victory. Afterward, he said through an interpreter that the mound return was most likely off and that he was focused on hitting moving forward, according to Reuters and ESPN.
Manager Dave Roberts has not announced a formal end to Ohtani’s pitching season. But with little time remaining to rebuild a starter’s workload, the Dodgers’ immediate priority is keeping him healthy enough to contribute at the plate. That distinction is important: this is a likely conclusion based on Ohtani’s own expectation and the club’s current plan, not an official declaration that he cannot pitch again.
The bat remains part of the stretch run
Ohtani returned to a designated-hitter role rather than the injured list. He entered Monday batting .277 with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs, although his production had cooled while he managed the overlapping ailments.
The Dodgers are therefore making a familiar but consequential tradeoff: preserve the hitter even if it means shelving the pitcher. Ohtani spent all of 2024 as a designated hitter while recovering from elbow surgery, so the hitting-only role is not new. The difference in 2026 is what the club could be leaving behind—a dominant half-season of pitching rather than a planned year away from the mound.
What comes next
The immediate test is whether reduced physical strain helps Ohtani regain his rhythm at the plate. The longer view is 2027, when the Dodgers will again have to balance the extraordinary value of a two-way player against the workload required to maintain both roles.
Ohtani described this season as a learning experience, according to MLB’s report. That framing fits the moment: his 2026 pitching record is strong enough to stand on its own, yet the way it ended could shape how the Dodgers handle every future ramp-up.
Unless the plan changes, the last image of Ohtani’s pitching season will not be a September postseason preview. It will be that 8-2 record, a 1.79 ERA—and a decision to protect the part of his game the Dodgers can still use right now.
