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Ohtani won't need surgery and the Dodgers expect him to pitch in 2027 cover
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Ohtani won't need surgery and the Dodgers expect him to pitch in 2027

Doctors prescribed rest for Shohei Ohtani's left knee and right arm, Andrew Friedman said Wednesday. The Dodgers still have to work out how to manage his two-way workload.

By Beat Chuck Sports Desk / 1 source / Published October 22, 2026

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  • Shohei Ohtani will not need surgery on his left knee, his right arm or any other ailment from the second half of the season, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday at the team's end-of-season news conference.

    Doctors prescribed rest. Friedman said the Dodgers expect his 2027 season to be unaffected and that Ohtani will train as a two-way player this winter.

    "I fully expect him to pitch next year," Friedman said, according to ESPN.

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  • How that works is still open. Friedman called Ohtani's workload "unprecedented" and said the club has no prior cases to learn from. ESPN reported the Dodgers could start his pitching season later, build in more off days, or do both.

    Ohtani went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in his first 14 starts, with 95 strikeouts and 26 walks in 85 2/3 innings. Pain in his left knee and right biceps kept him off the mound after July 3. He was hitting .294/.390/.558 with 30 home runs as of Aug. 18, then slumped to 11 hits and 29 strikeouts over his last 70 regular-season at-bats. He did not go on the injured list until after Labor Day.

    In the playoffs he went 4 for 22 with no extra-base hits in his first seven games. His home run in Game 4 of the NLCS was his first since Aug. 18, and the Brewers finished a sweep of Los Angeles.

  • The Dodgers also said catcher Dalton Rushing had an internal brace procedure on his elbow and will be out about nine months. Right-hander Will Klein had a bone chip and spur removed and should be ready for spring training. Friedman said Dave Roberts' coaching staff will return intact.

    What to watch: the Dodgers' plan for Ohtani's spring buildup, and how they handle the pending free agency of Tarik Skubal, the ace they acquired before the trade deadline.