Is Shohei Ohtani injured? What we know about knee, bicep issues that hindered Dodgers superstar

Baseball's biggest superstar has looked anything but like one recently.

Shohei Ohtani 's 2026 season has been derailed over the last few months — after initially looking like he could contend for another NL MVP and Cy Young Award, pitching to a 1.79 ERA over 14 starts, he was first shut down as a pitcher in July.

Ohtani did later have an IL stint as he played through clear injury concerns, but came into the Dodgers' postseason run seemingly healthy enough to hit. It's been obvious on the big stage, though, that Ohtani isn't at 100%, so much so that the Dodgers reportedly began pondering benching him in the NLCS.

Here's what's known about Ohtani's injury concerns over the last few months.

Ohtani has been playing through health issues for months, though the Dodgers have been vague at times about the severity of those injuries.

After his incredible start to the season on the mound, Ohtani made his final start in early July, pulled against the Padres due to left knee discomfort and soreness in his right bicep. He missed the MLB All-Star Game due to those injuries — and initially, the Dodgers insisted he would return to his two-way talents, receiving a shot in his knee with other treatment to plan a return to the mound.

Instead, by early September, Ohtani was officially shut down as a pitcher, as the Dodgers announced he would focus on hitting for the remainder of the season due to his injury recovery not materializing as hoped.

Since then, even Ohtani as a hitter hasn't quite been the same elite threat. While he had a brief IL stint in September, he's been swinging through injury issues over the last few months.

Since at least June, Ohtani has been managing a left knee injury that led to him being shut down as a pitcher by July and put him on the 15-day IL in September.

The injuries haven't just resulted in his lack of two-way ability — Ohtani has not been the same elite hitter in a while.

According to MLB.com, as of Oct. 13, Ohtani was hitting .197 with a .629 OPS over his last 35 games, between the regular season and postseason. He last hit a home run on Aug. 18, only driving in one run since then; Ohtani's 110 plate appearances without a home run, including the postseason, are a career high.

"Yeah I mean obviously it hasn't been good," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said during the NLCS, per MLB.com. "He doesn't feel great. I think for me, it's having a conversation with him tomorrow, kind of try to figure out what's best for him, what's best for us. He certainly has earned that conversation and deserves it."

Ohtani's knee injury hasn't been officially described by the Dodgers as anything other than inflammation and soreness, though in 2019, he had season-ending surgery to repair a rare congenital condition called bipartite patella in the same knee. Ohtani previously told reporters that he "wonders" if his current knee issue is related to that surgery.

"It's more in the kneecap," Ohtani said in July, per the New York Post .

Part of the reason for Ohtani's struggles during his injuries is that it isn't just his knee — it's also his right bicep that has brought discomfort.

According to MLB.com, the bicep issue first affected Ohtani as a hitter in July, and it's lingered since, particularly when he was attempting to ramp back up for a return to the mound. By September, he reported to the team that it was still causing discomfort after taking a practice swing, which was right before he was then placed on the IL.

Paired with his knee issue, the bicep injury has added even more strain.

"Of course the best mode of recovery is to completely not play," Ohtani said through his interpreter at the time, per MLB.com . "But right now, I just want to make sure that I'm playing, playing well and just focusing on the now."

At this point, it's looking more like Ohtani will only be able to get back to 100% with a full offseason's rest, unable to get back up to full speed despite his IL stint. He will play in Game 3 against the Brewers after questions, per The Athletic , insisting that he's capable of being on the field.

"He was adamant that he can help us," Roberts said, per The Athletic. "He's well enough to help us win a baseball game, so that's all I needed to hear."