SHOHEI Ohtani is facing a nagging knee injury.

The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has been left unable to pitch, and it is unclear when he will be able to return.

Shohei Ohtani throws on the field before a game against the New York Yankees

Ohtani looks on from first base during the third inning against the Yankees

On Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced that Ohtani will not make his start on Wednesday.

He will continue to hit in the lineup, but Roberts doesn’t know when he will be back on the mound.

Roberts also added that “it’s going to be some time” before Ohtani toes the rubber again.

“His knee, we just want to continue to give it the best chance to kind of get into a good spot,” Roberts said.

“And as he said, as we feel, it’s the pitching and the torque of landing on that leg that kind of gets it upset.”

Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 after suffering his knee injury in mid-June.

He skipped the All-Star Game to receive a lubricant injection in his knee.

But it appears that treatment has yet to have the intended effect.

“It’s not going to be a day-to-day thing,” Roberts said.

“The first step is getting him into a spot where he feels like, and we feel like, he can pitch and not regress. At that point in time, we can kind of read and react. I just can’t even answer [when that might be] right now.”

Right now it’s all about managing the risks for the Dodgers, so they won’t be putting Ohtani in any unnecessary danger.

However, Roberts says there is a chance he could pitch again this year.

“Could he probably do it? Sure,” Roberts said.

“But right now, the benefits just don’t seem to outweigh the cost at this time of the season. I think we still have plenty of time to get him to a good spot.”

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/sport/16720772/los-angeles-dodgers-shohei-ohtani-knee-injury/