Dodgers make massive Shohei Ohtani announcement amid NL battle with Braves, Brewers

The Los Angeles Dodgers currently sit in second place in the NL, just one game behind the Milwaukee Brewers. However, they are in the middle of a big series against the Atlanta Braves after dropping the series opener Tuesday night.

Shohei Ohtani has spent the last month focusing solely on his hitting rather than pitching. That is because of a lingering knee injury that has kept him off the mound.

“The Los Angeles Dodgers have been without the pitching services of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani for over a month as he battles an ongoing knee and biceps injury. The team decided to shut down Ohtani from pitching just before the All-Star break in the hope of managing the injury, but it has lingered ever since. Ohtani received a lubricant shot in his knee, but the injury hasn't healed in the manner that Los Angeles would like to see,” SI’s Matt Levine wrote.

The knee injury first surfaced in June when Ohtani was removed from a game.

“Shohei Ohtani exited today's game with what the team described as left knee inflammation, and though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters in Pittsburgh he expects him back in the lineup as early as tomorrow, it's worth noting his history with that left knee," ESPN’s Alden Gonzales posted.

On Wednesday, MLB insider Jon Morosi shared that Ohtani could potentially make his return to the mound this weekend if everything goes well during his bullpen session.

“Shohei Ohtani starting on the mound Sunday in Detroit is a "possibility," Dave Roberts told reporters. The Dodgers' pitching plans for the weekend hinge on Ohtani's work today, which will be either a bullpen session or facing live hitters in Atlanta,” Morosi wrote.

This is exactly what Dodgers fans want to hear with the playoffs getting closer. Los Angeles is also in a jam-packed race for the two first-round byes, making Ohtani's potential return to the mound even more significant.

The Dodgers already have a stacked rotation, but adding Ohtani back into the mix would make them even more dangerous. With the battle for the top two spots in the NL potentially going down to the wire, this is exactly where Ohtani needs to be in his recovery.

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