Ohtani Minimizes Cramps That Derailed His Start in the 4th

CINCINNATI — Shohei Ohtani exited his pitching appearance on Wednesday because of discomfort in his right hip, but the Los Angeles Dodgers’ dual-threat player is anticipated to be prepared for his upcoming spot in the lineup.

Ohtani left the field after receiving attention from the team's medical personnel during the fourth inning of the Dodgers' match versus the Cincinnati Reds. He continued playing in the game as the designated hitter.

"I sensed it during the first inning and simply attempted to adjust, managing to cope until the third, but it ultimately failed me in the fourth," Ohtani said via an interpreter.

The right-handed pitcher left the game after intentionally walking Tyler Stephenson and throwing six consecutive pitches in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ohtani, who underwent his second Tommie John surgery on his right elbow in September 2023, was starting for the seventh time this season and managed to get through four innings for the first time this year.

Ohtani pitched three throws, featuring back-to-back errant deliveries to Spencer Steer, after which the coaching staff arrived to assess him and promptly took him out of the game.

One positive aspect of today's game is that my pitch count was at the level I wanted," Ohtani mentioned. "I believe this marks progress in some way.

Although Ohtani did not indicate if he might lose more playing time on the field, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts stated that Ohtani is expected to be ready to take the mound as planned on August 6 when facing the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

The Dodgers kept him in the starting line-up. The decision didn't yield positive results as he went 0-for-5 with a strikeout. Los Angeles lost 5-2 against the Reds.

Ohtani encountered Cincinnati for the first time since August 23, 2023, during which he threw only 1 1/3 innings in the opening match of a twinbill while playing for the Los Angeles Angels. A month afterward, he underwent surgery to fix a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm.