LOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup for a fourth consecutive game Sunday night, but the Los Angeles Dodgers expect to have their designated hitter back Monday against the Cincinnati Reds.
Ohtani appeared overmatched when he struck out four times against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. He has not played since, with his current respite due to ongoing left knee and right biceps soreness that has bothered him since before the All-Star break.
Progress has been somewhat methodical, with Ohtani getting two days completely void of activity before hitting in the indoor batting cage Saturday.
Manager Dave Roberts said after Sunday's 7-5 win over the Washington Nationals that Ohtani was available to pinch-hit and will likely play on Monday.
"My expectation is he'll be in the lineup [Monday]," Roberts told reporters, according to MLB.com.
Ohtani was 7-for-51 (.137) with one home run over his past 13 games before getting his longest break since sitting out the last month of the 2022 season as a member of the Los Angeles Angels because of an elbow injury. His is batting .279 with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs in 129 games. It is his sixth consecutive season with at least 30 homers.
Roberts said Ohtani had reported that both his knee and biceps had improved with the extended rest.
"Obviously, we were talking about potentially giving him as much time to get right," Roberts said. "So just pleasantly pleased [with the progress]. But again, until he's written in the lineup, we don't know 100%, but I'm hopeful."
Knee soreness in particular has prevented Ohtani from pitching since July 3. The right-hander is 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts covering 85â…” innings.
The odds of Ohtani starting on the mound again this season are slim.
"Obviously, if you're looking at the calendar, how much he's thrown in the last week, I think we can all do the math," Roberts said.
Also Sunday, the Dodgers put Dalton Rushing on the injured list because of right elbow discomfort, retroactive to Saturday, and recalled fellow catcher Eliezer Alfonzo from the minors.
Roberts said Rushing aggravated an elbow injury while playing catch. He could return this season but won't assume catching duties again because of the injury.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
