Dodgers Shohei Ohtani reports discomfort in surgically-repaired kneecap

On the night he was scratched from his final start as a pitcher before the All-Star break, Shohei Ohtani shared a potentially troubling detail about his irritated left knee.“It’s more in the kneecap,” Ohtani said in Japanese of the discomfort he’s experienced in recent weeks.That’s the same kneecap on which Ohtani had surgery seven years ago.Asked if his current problems had anything to do with that procedure, Ohtani couldn’t rule out the possibility.“I wonder,” Ohtani said.Before the operation in question, Ohtani’s kneecap consisted of two separate bones rather than a single fused one, the result of a congenital condition called bipartite patella.Playing for Angels at the time, Ohtani underwent season-ending surgery to address the issue in September of 2019.Ohtani spent that winter rehabilitating.The effects of that were noticeable in the pandemic-shortened season that followed, as Ohtani batted a career-low .190.

His anticipated return from his first Tommy John operation ended in failure, as he made only two starts that lasted a combined 1 ⅔ innings.Right now, Ohtani said his knee doesn’t bother him when he’s in the batter’s box, which explains how he was able to homer in the first inning of the Dodgers’ 9-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.The home run was Ohtani’s third in four games.“Pitching,” Ohtani said, “puts more of a strain on it.”Ohtani is planning to be the designated hitter in the Dodgers’ two remaining games before the All-Star break.Ohtani will skip the All-Star Game to receive treatment on his knee.

He said he will drain his knee after the Dodgers’ series finale against the Diamondbacks on Sunday.He is also expected to receive a pain-relieving injection.He said he could have pitched through his discomfort if necessary but decided to take advantage of the Dodgers’ place in the standings.

The Dodgers have the best record in baseball, and even after their loss to the second-place Diamondbac...