Shohei Ohtani Exits Game With Knee Inflammation in the Same Knee He Had Surgically Repaired
Shohei Ohtani was pulled from Thursday’s game against the Pirates with left knee inflammation, and yes, it’s the same left knee he had surgery on in 2019. The Dodgers say it’s nothing serious. Dodgers fans aren’t ready to believe them yet.
Ohtani went 2-for-2 with a home run and two walks before exiting in the top of the seventh. Manager Dave Roberts said the discomfort kicked in when Ohtani tried to steal a base earlier in the game. Roberts also threw out the word “hamstring” in his postgame remarks, suggesting the team isn’t 100% sure where the issue actually is yet.
Why the Same Knee Detail Matters
You don’t ignore a 2019 surgery history. Ohtani had bipartite patella surgery on that left knee back when he was still with the Angels. He’s played through it ever since, but stress injuries to repaired knees are a different animal. They can flare up out of nowhere and they don’t always heal fast.
The Dodgers are publicly calm. Roberts said his concern level was “not high.” He also said he expected Ohtani to be back in the lineup Friday and to make his next pitching start on schedule. That’s the front office and medical staff projecting confidence. We’ll see if the player matches that confidence when reporters get to him.
The Stakes Here
This is the Dodgers’ guy. He’s the reigning National League MVP. He’s the entire offense most nights. He’s also their second-best starter when he takes the mound. The 2026 Dodgers were built around getting full value out of Ohtani as a two-way player, and that experiment is finally starting to look like the version Andrew Friedman sold to ownership when they handed him $700 million.
Lose Ohtani for any meaningful stretch and the Dodgers are not the same team. Mookie Betts is great. Freddie Freeman is great. Will Smith is on the injured list with neck inflammation. The lineup gets thin in a hurry without the MVP in the middle of it.
The Best-Case Read
The Dodgers’ calm tone is real. Roberts is one of the more honest managers in baseball when it comes to injury updates and he doesn’t usually downplay legitimate concerns. If he says the level of worry is “not high,” there’s a decent chance the MRI comes back clean and Ohtani sits out a day or two as a precaution.
That fits the pattern. The Dodgers have been ultra cautious with Ohtani all season. They pull him at the first sign of soreness. They’ve managed his pitching workload as if he’s made of glass. So an early exit doesn’t automatically mean a long absence.
The Worst-Case Read
Same knee, recurring inflammation, and the player trying to steal bases at 31 in his prime power years. If the MRI shows structural concerns, the Dodgers are suddenly making decisions about whether he hits, whether he pitches, and how long they can keep both options alive.
The deadline pressure changes if Ohtani is hurt. Suddenly Tarik Skubal isn’t a luxury. Suddenly Aaron Judge being off the AL board doesn’t matter because the NL race opens back up. Suddenly the Dodgers might have to overpay to upgrade. The Brewers, Phillies, and Cubs would love to see Los Angeles vulnerable.
The Verdict
Trust Dave Roberts until you hear something different. The signs point to a precautionary exit and a quick return. But monitor this one daily. Same knee, surgery history, and a Dodgers team that can’t afford to be wrong. We’ll know more by Saturday whether this is a footnote or a season-altering story.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
