Why Shohei Ohtani Won't Need Surgery Despite Injury-Riddled End To Season
Shohei Ohtani won't have offseason surgery for lingering knee and biceps problems, Dodgers announce. Team plans new strategy to get four-time MVP healthy for 2027 postseason run.
Shohei Ohtani surgery 'not on the table' as Dodgers REVEAL 2027 pitching plan...
Offseason surgery for Shohei Ohtani is “off the table” despite ongoing knee and biceps issues, the Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed on Wednesday following the Japanese star's injury-hit end to the season.
The Dodgers' unsuccessful playoff run, which ended in a 4-0 series sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers last week, was partly attributed to Ohtani's poor form while playing through injury. However, he began to find his rhythm again, highlighted by a three-run home run in Game 4.
The 32-year-old Ohtani has been dealing with knee and biceps issues since July, and the Dodgers have come under scrutiny over how they managed the four-time Most Valuable Player's injuries heading into the postseason.
However, while some analysts have questioned whether Ohtani's demanding workload as both a pitcher and hitter contributed to his drop in form, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday that Ohtani will continue to pitch next season.
Friedman told reporters that surgery for Ohtani was “not on the table” as he described managing the star's injuries as a game of “whack-a-mole.”
“He had a lot of different stuff going on,” Friedman said of Ohtani. “His knee was bothering him off and on.”
“It was a little bit of an unfortunate game of whack-a-mole. The knee would get to a good spot and then the bicep was bothering him. It was a number of different things – some that would calm down for a period, some that would get re-irritated.”
Ohtani, whose exceptional two-way ability has prompted some to hail him as the greatest player in baseball history, had been expected to contend for the Cy Young pitching award in 2026 before injuries sidelined him from pitching.
Friedman said that while the Dodgers intend for Ohtani to continue pitching next season, the club will devise a plan to ensure their star arrives at the postseason in peak condition.
“I'm not only expecting him to pitch, but I'm excited about him pitching,” Friedman said.
“So now it's a question of how do we manage a long season and have him at his best going into October. That's the challenge and we've got to figure it out together.”
Statistically, Ohtani posted his worst numbers since joining the Dodgers in 2023 during the 2026 season.
After hitting 54 and 55 home runs in his first two regular seasons with the Dodgers in 2024 and 2025, Ohtani managed just 30 homers this year.
His batting average dropped to .275, compared to .310 in 2024 and .282 in 2025.
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