Dodgers reveal troubling Shohei Ohtani update, leaving pitching return unclear

DETROIT –– Shohei Ohtani appears unlikely to make his pitching return with the Dodgers on Sunday, as had been increasingly expected earlier this week, after reporting to the team’s training staff that he still didn’t feel 100% following a bullpen session on Friday.“That’s the hard part right now, is trying to figure out if he’s not 100% with the overall body, is it worth giving him an inning to build up or not,” manager Dave Roberts said.“So I think that’s kind of where we’re at right now, trying to weigh the positives and negatives.”According to Roberts, neither the left knee nor right biceps issues Ohtani has dealt with in recent months are completely healed yet.And while the manager said he still expected Ohtani — who has not made a pitching start since July 3 — to return to the mound soon, he also made it clear the club would be extremely cautious with his health.“His value offensively is hugely important,” Roberts said of the two-way star, who has continued to serve as the Dodgers’ everyday designated hitter.

“So if throwing potentially cuts into that, that’s not worth the squeeze.”If Ohtani does not start Sunday (the Dodgers have Tyler Glasnow lined up to pitch instead if needed), Roberts said it’s also unlikely that the right-hander would turn right around and pitch in the opening game of the team’s homestand next Tuesday, instead indicating that the club would kick the can farther down the road on Ohtani’s pitching return.Even if Ohtani starts Sunday, it would only be for one inning.The longer he waits to make his return to the mound, however, the less time he will have to build up his pitch count over the rest of the regular season.“I wouldn’t bet against Shohei,” Roberts said.“But I still think that [getting built up to] five innings by the end of the season … that’s an aggressive play.”Granted, the Dodgers had seemed willing to be aggressive with Ohtani’s buildup over the last several weeks, ...