Shohei Ohtani expected to pitch next year; surgery 'not on the table'

Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman spoke to reporters Wednesday and gave an update on star Shohei Ohtani.

Friedman said Ohtani dealt with knee and biceps injuries throughout the year and called the whole situation "whack-a-mole." Importantly, Friedman said surgery is "not on the table" for Ohtani, and he is expected to heal over the offseason.

The Dodgers are preparing for a full-strength, dual-threat Ohtani next year. Said Friedman: "I fully expect him to pitch next year. "

With the injuries, Ohtani played in 135 games this season. That ties for his fewest games played in a season since 2020. He took the mound 14 times, with his final pitching appearance on July 3, ahead of the All-Star break.

After hitting only in the second half, Ohtani was added to the injured list on Sept. 3 and wasn't activated until Sept. 29, as the Dodgers tried to give him extra time to rest before the postseason.

While he was active throughout L.A.'s playoff run, he wasn't himself at the plate. Ohtani played in eight postseason games and went 5-for-26. He slashed just .192/.323/.308 with one home run and three RBI.

Even with injuries affecting his play throughout the season, he was still very good. But Ohtani has set an unreal set of expectations for himself by winning three consecutive MVP awards.

In the 2026 regular season, he hit .275, his lowest batting average since 2022. He hit 30 home runs, his fewest since 2020.

The dual-threat star's numbers were down across the board, but he still helped Los Angeles to 100 wins, second-most in MLB. The Dodgers made the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the National League. Los Angeles knocked off the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS, but the Milwaukee Brewers swept the Dodgers in the NLCS.

While Ohtani is expected to avoid surgery, the same isn't true for Los Angeles catcher Dalton Rushing. LA Times writer Maddie Lee reported Wednesday that the catcher will undergo right elbow surgery.

Rushing is expected to undergo a "hybrid internal brace procedure" that will sideline him from catching for nine months, though Lee says he's expected to be hitting well before then.