The Dodgers are less than three weeks from the start of the wild-card round, and their two-way star will spend most of that stretch off the field. Ohtani is ineligible to return until September 23, which would leave him five regular-season games to rebuild ahead of playoff baseball on September 29.
It is his first IL stint since he joined the club in 2024. Manager Dave Roberts said the team had run out of ways to work around the injuries.
“It’s the right thing to do. We tried to kick the can as much as we could,” Roberts told reporters, according to Yahoo Sports.
Ohtani has been managing left knee discomfort since early June and right biceps trouble that flared up on July 3, the last time he pitched this season. His swing had lost its usual violence over the past month: since starting a throwing progression on August 8 he was hitting .198 with four home runs and a .689 OPS, Sports Illustrated reported.
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“I’ve seen it over the last couple weeks, where he hasn’t been who he is. Obviously, there’s some compensation,” Roberts said.
For the full season Ohtani is still batting .277 with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs, and his half-year on the mound produced an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 85⅔ innings. That side of his game is now shelved for 2026.
“I do think that if it were a postseason game tomorrow, he would be in the lineup,” Roberts said.
“Now you’re talking about two weeks, 14 days [of rest and recovery]. I feel that that’s substantial.”
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A 21-year-old skips Triple-A
Into Ohtani’s roster spot comes Josue De Paula, a Dominican outfielder rated MLB’s No. 6 overall prospect and the Dodgers’ top-ranked minor-leaguer. He is being called up directly from Double-A Tulsa, skipping Triple-A altogether.
De Paula is arriving in form. In 124 games at Tulsa this year he slashed .303/.401/.547 with 27 home runs, 104 RBIs and 31 stolen bases, an OPS of .948.
Roberts said the plate discipline is what stands out.
“He doesn’t run from velocity. He controls the strike zone.”
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De Paula is scheduled to make his debut on Friday against Miami. The Dodgers sit at 89-57, 11 games clear in the NL West.
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