Shohei Ohtani hasn't thrown a pitch since July 3. Will he take the mound in a Dodgers game before Sept 8?

Shohei Ohtani did not take the mound in a Dodgers game before Sept. 8, and by early September he and the team had effectively ended his 2026 pitching comeback. Ohtani cut short a bullpen session on Aug. 28 due to discomfort in his right knee and soreness in his right biceps, halting the buildup that had targeted a return to the mound in September. Asked afterward whether he would keep building up as a pitcher in 2026, Ohtani said "most likely no," adding he would focus solely on hitting for the rest of the season. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts likewise downplayed any chance of Ohtani pitching in the regular season or postseason. Ohtani last pitched in a game on July 3, and his two-way return is now expected to wait until 2027 at the earliest. The community was closely split, with 55% expecting a return, reflecting how close Ohtani had reportedly come before the setback. Instead, the Dodgers head into the stretch run and postseason relying on him purely as a hitter, a shift that reshapes how the team manages its pitching staff for the rest of 2026.