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Shohei Ohtani is at the forefront of MLB news whether he's pitching, batting, or in the midst of a major scandal.
He entered the 2024 season as just a batter as the Dodgers superstar continued his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Not long after the season began, Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara pled guilty to two charges in the gambling scandal.
Ohtani has dominated on the field with his play, sometimes flying under the radar due to these aforementioned storylines. He's proven to be an NL MVP candidate despite not stepping on the mound.
That campaign is taking a pause as the slugger is dealing with an injury after Saturday's game vs. the Padres. Here's the latest news on Ohtani's timeline to return.
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What is Shohei Ohtani's injury?
Ohtani is dealing with back tightness and won't play in Sunday's game against the Padres.
He said he began feeling back pain during Saturday's pregame warmup but opted to play anyway. The tightness worsened as the game went on, and Ohtani left after his final at-bat in the seventh inning.
#Dodgers Shohei Ohtani said his back started bothering him during pregame workout on Saturday. Tightened up as game went on. Feels better today and wanted to play but Dave Roberts had already told him he would get a day off during this stretch. Just came sooner now
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) May 12, 2024
It seems that the tightness subsided on Sunday, but he remained out to not further aggravate his injury.
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How long is Shohei Ohtani out?
Ohtani's timeline is unknown at this point, but it seems that he'll return soon.
The Dodgers are playing it safe by giving him a rest day on Sunday, but Ohtani said his back is already feeling better.
Shohei Ohtani reports feeling better but has been instructed to take an earlier day off than anticipated to recover from back tightness. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/TI54v3XLYC
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) May 12, 2024
Back injuries can be nagging, especially for hitters. The last thing the Dodgers want is for their star to be dealing with a serious back problem while still recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Shohei Ohtani 2024 stats
| PA | AB | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA/OBP/SLG |
| 183 | 159 | 56* | 11 | 27 | 21 | 34 | .352*/.423/.667* |
*Leads MLB
