Shohei Ohtani returning to Dodgers' lineup vs. Reds after 4-game absence

After sitting out for the past four games, Shohei Ohtani is back in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup for Monday's matchup with the Cincinnati Reds and he will bat leadoff.

Ohtani nearly batted as a pinch-hitter in Sunday's 7-5 win over the Washington Nationals. He prepared to hit in the eighth inning with the Dodgers down 5-4. Had Alex Freeland or Max Muncy reached base to begin the frame, Ohtani would have gone to bat in place of Alex Call. But Freeland popped out in foul territory and Muncy flew out to left field.

Despite Ohtani not pinch-hitting, the Dodgers took the lead when Call hit a single, Tommy Edman drew a walk and Mookie Betts hit a three-run home run to take the lead.

Ohtani being available to pinch-hit Sunday was presumably a precursor to him being in Monday's starting lineup. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed after Sunday's win that he expected Ohtani to play .

The reigning National League MVP missed the past four games while recuperating from left biceps, right knee and neck issues that took their toll, notably after striking out four times in a game last week, to the point where the Dodgers felt he would benefit from resting.

In August, Ohtani had a slash average of .241/.322/.422, far below his numbers during the previous four months of the season despite still hitting six home runs.

The question was whether or not Ohtani would recover with a longer break and go on the injured list. The Dodgers had to make a decision on that by Sunday in order to backdate an IL stint by three days , per MLB rules.

However, putting Ohtani on the IL came with some complications. Pitchers have to stay on the IL for a minimum of 15 days, unlike 10 days for position players, and that would apply to Ohtani as a two-way player. The Dodgers didn't want to be without Ohtani in the lineup for more than two weeks, especially with 19 games remaining in the regular season.

While Ohtani is still officially a two-way player in MLB's view, he appears to be done as a pitcher for the remainder of the 2026 season. The Dodgers haven't reached that decision with certainty, but the calendar and necessary timeline for Ohtani to return to the mound aren't syncing up, Roberts pointed out.

"If you're looking at the calendar, how much he's thrown in the last week, I think we can all do the math," Roberts said, via MLB.com .

Ohtani hasn't pitched since July 3, primarily due to his left knee injury. In 14 starts, he registered a 1.79 ERA and 8-2 record with 95 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings. The Dodgers have been concerned that trying to work his way back to pitching eventually affected his performance as a hitter with the biceps and neck issues developing.

Without Ohtani, the Dodgers still have a starting rotation with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. Eric Lauer has filled in for Roki Sasaki, who is currently on the IL due to a blister issue . Sasaki could start when he returns, but will likely be used as a reliever during the postseason.

Additionally, Emmet Sheehan was recalled from Triple-A on Monday. In an earlier stint with the Dodgers this season. he compiled a 5.29 ERA and allowed 93 hits in 95 1/3 innings. That resulted in a demotion to Oklahoma City, where he registered a 1.50 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 18 innings.