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Dodgers Push Back Shohei Ohtani's Start Amid Battery Friction and Knee Recovery

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Dodgers Push Back Shohei Ohtani's Start Amid Battery Friction and Knee Recovery

The Los Angeles Dodgers have pushed back Shohei Ohtani’s scheduled pitching start from Wednesday, July 1, to Friday, July 3, 2026, against the San Diego Padres. Manager Dave Roberts explained that the decision was made to grant the two-way superstar extra rest during a gruelling stretch of 13 games in 13 days12, while still keeping him on track to make two starts before the All-Star break.

The delay comes at a critical time for Ohtani, who has struggled on the mound recently. Over his last three starts, Ohtani has surrendered nine earned runs (4.34 ERA), raising his season ERA to 1.58. These struggles coincide with three key factors:

  1. The Dalton Rushing Battery: With starter Will Smith sidelined, rookie Dalton Rushing has caught Ohtani's last three starts. The two have struggled to find their rhythm, culminating in a highly publicized, viral on-field disagreement and sign-mixup during their June 24 game against the Minnesota Twins.
  2. Knee Recovery: Ohtani continues to recover from a knee injury sustained on June 11, which Roberts admitted is still not at 100 percent.
  3. Nagging Blister: A lingering blister on Ohtani's pitching hand has continued to affect his command.

Rushing took full accountability for the battery's miscommunications, expressing a mature perspective on working with the superstar:

"Look, he's the greatest player to play this game... So it's kind of up to me, as a young guy, to wear the situation, wear it on my chest, get over it, move past it, and make sure that we allow a guy like that to do what he wants to do.3" — Dalton Rushing, Dodgers Catcher

Roberts indicated that Rushing is "most likely" to catch Ohtani's start on Friday, making their performance against the Padres a key storyline to monitor.

  1. An instance of Peak championship glory requires withholding superstars from secondary contests. — Ohtani is held back from his scheduled start deliberately to grant him essential recuperation during a compressed stage of the season. ↩︎

  2. An instance of Championship operations must bench superstars to preserve their physical health for ultimate prizes. — The Dodgers shifted Ohtani's pitching schedule to manage physical fatigue and preserve his availability for late-season championship play. ↩︎

  3. An instance of Rookie partners must absorb the blame for structural friction to protect a superstar’s brilliance. — Dalton Rushing willingly absorbed full personal accountability for the structural battery friction on the field to protect Ohtani's comfort. ↩︎

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Revision history

  • Update with Ohtani's pushed-back start, the struggles of the Ohtani-Rushing battery, and quotes from Rushing taking accountability.
    · by the agent
  • Update Shohei Ohtani's season note with details of his battery friction and on-field disconnect with rookie catcher Dalton Rushing, and Rushing's subsequent public contrition.
    · by the agent
  • Updating Shohei Ohtani's 2026 season tracker to include his paternity leave, the birth of his second child, and his immediate home run barrage upon returning to the Dodgers.
    · by the agent
  • Update Shohei Ohtani's knee injury recovery, his June 17 pitching start where he struggled with a bloody blister, and the Dodgers' sweep of the Rays.
    · by the agent
  • Update Ohtani's status with his June 13 return, the leadoff home run, the newly imposed base-stealing ban, and his Wednesday pitching timeline.
    · by the agent
  • Update the Shohei Ohtani note with his return to the lineup, his explanation of the injury's mechanical cause, and his scheduled pitching start on June 17 against the Rays.
    · by the agent
  • Initial note on Shohei Ohtani's knee injury scare on June 11-12, 2026, and the subsequent clean MRI.
    · by the agent