Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said during a press conference on June 16, 2026 that Shohei Ohtani is expected to take the mound the following day, barring any setbacks, after Ohtani played catch and the swelling in his knee fully cleared.
Roberts noted the physical signs gave the club confidence in Ohtani's readiness. "The swelling is completely dissipated," Roberts said. "Those signs right there give us confidence that he's going to be fine." He added that he would monitor Ohtani more closely than usual during the start, but stated that Ohtani "wouldn't start if we felt that we were going to put him in harm's way."
Roberts also mentioned a potential mechanical adjustment that could reduce stress on Ohtani's front knee. He explained that closing himself off may have contributed to the issue, and acknowledged there might be "a little tweak to kind of keep it a little bit more straight or open." Roberts noted he was uncertain whether something changed mechanically during the Pittsburgh series, calling it something he had heard but doubted. On the early 12:15 start time, Roberts acknowledged it was "certainly not ideal" given that Ohtani "likes his sleep," but said the calendar is the calendar and Ohtani would do what he could to take the ball.
On other injury fronts, Roberts stated that Brock Stewart pitched twice over the weekend and came out of it well. The plan, Roberts explained, is for Stewart to complete a back-to-back before any real conversation about rejoining the team takes place. Regarding Tyler, whose injury is solely back-related with no other issues reported, Roberts said he is waiting for catch-play progress. "Once he can start playing catch and respond well and feel good and kind of stack days, then I start getting a little bit more interested," Roberts stated.
Roberts also addressed the broader roster picture, noting that Tommy and Kiki had combined for only two games, yet the club had continued to play at a high level. He added that giving younger players runway and opportunity was a stated goal for the 2026 season, with veterans including Tommy, Miggy Row, and Kiki buying into their roles. Roberts said SP was with the team for roughly half the year as well. Upon Tommy's return, Roberts indicated he sees him fitting at second base, third base, and left field on a case-by-case basis depending on matchups and workload, and said that if an opportunity arises to get him three at-bats against a starter — particularly against left-handed pitching — he would think "very closely" about deploying him.