Straight Talk: Pitcher Ohtani shut down, discusses need for knee treatment

"Straight Talk" is a regular feature in which The Sporting Tribune's John E. Gibson offers a full translation of media availability with Dodgers Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. He will also help translate when Clippers star Rui Hachimura and L.A. Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida are asked questions in Japanese.

The job of interpreters in the heat of the moment is difficult without the ability to write down questions and answers and re-hear responses for proper context. That's where John comes in to help. John currently works as a Japanese-English interpreter and covered pro baseball in Japan for about 20 years. His experience as a sports reporter includes stints at The Orange County Register, The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, The Redlands Daily Facts, The Yomiuri Shimbun’s English newspaper in Tokyo and The Epoch Times.

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani discusses the knee injury that is expected to keep him off the mound for a spell and out of the upcoming All-Star Game with media members before appearing as the designated hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks at home on Friday. 

Q: Maybe you can explain to just normal human beings how we find out you have to have your knee drained, you missing the All-Star Game and in your first at-bat, you hit a home run. How is that possible with what you’re dealing with?

Ohtani: Well, if anything, the pitching is what puts the most stress on it, but basically, I don’t think there’s a problem when I’m hitting.

Q: Did you throw a bullpen and is that when you realized the knee was getting worse? When did you realize that you needed to take these steps?

Ohtani: So, the situation was that there was sometimes inflammation and sometimes none, and it would get better and then not be better, and that happened repeatedly. So considering everything, including getting an injection, we’ve just been patient and kept an eye on it the past few weeks.

Q: Shohei, you said this impacts your pitching more than your hitting. Is it because of the way you plant your leg when you’re pitching?

Ohtani: I don’t really think so, but when you compensate, and I’m likely compensating, you put stress on other areas. So I probably need to modify something. Basically, though, I’ll have to find something that works for me as well.

Q: Do you think this will affect your pitching schedule or your workload in the second half?

Ohtani: Yesterday during a phone call, even though I said I was OK and could go without any worries, they told me I’d be better off taking some time off. Well, they skipped (my spot in the rotation) and that put the bullpen out there to start, so I just really feel bad about not being out there (on the mound).

Q: Do you think this treatment will allow you to go back to making regular starts through the rotation in the second half of the year or do you think you’re going to have to be a little more cautious with your pitching workload, especially given where you guys are at in the standings?

Ohtani: Well, if I had to, I think I could have gone today – I was certainly able to pitch. I just want to get ready for my next start and be in a better physical situation, so I think I’ll use time to treat it.

Q: Do you see this – like the knee, the biceps, all that stuff – is it as the normal wear and tear of the season or is that or is that part of the body acclimating to (being) a full two-way player for the first time since 2023?

Ohtani: Well, more than being just a full-time DH, that’s going to put some wear and tear on the body, I think that’s exactly the case. In terms of my knee, that most likely appeared a few starts ago. I think that day, it seems like my pitching form wasn’t very good, and this was unexpected. That how I feel about it.

Q: Do you plan on draining the knee after the game Sunday or do you anticipate doing that and not being able to play Sunday?

Ohtani: That’s what I’m planning to do (postgame on Sunday).