LOS ANGELES - Shohei Ohtani struck out nine over six quality innings but made an early exit from the Los Angeles Dodgers batting lineup with tightness in his right biceps during Friday's 4-3 comeback win against the San Diego Padres.
The two-way superstar did not factor in the decision, having left the mound with the back-to-back World Series champions trailing 3-0 before getting off the hook for the loss thanks to Teoscar Hernandez's seventh-inning grand slam at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers pinch-hit for Ohtani as a precaution in the bottom of the seventh, and he will sit out Saturday's game against the Padres, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said.
The four-time MVP does not expect to be out long, however, based on his experience with a similar biceps issue earlier in the season.
"It's the same spot where I felt it a couple of months ago," Ohtani said. "It went away pretty quickly, so I expect that to happen again. On the swing, I did feel it, but I was able to play through it."
Ohtani allowed three earned runs on seven hits, including a home run, with two walks. He went 0-for-3 at the plate.
His 110 pitches were the most in an outing since his return to the mound after undergoing right elbow surgery in September 2023.
Ohtani, who has also been dealing with nagging knee inflammation since last month, admitted he was not in top shape heading toward the All-Star Game but was upbeat about his performance so far.
"I'm not playing at 100 percent, so there is a sense of frustration," he said. "I've been able to play and contribute reasonably well. It's been a decent performance for the first half of the season."
