Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said at a press conference on June 17, 2026, that Shohei Ohtani is expected to make his next start, tentatively scheduled for June 24 or June 25, barring further complications from a blister issue.
Roberts noted that Ohtani's blister bled late in the game, possibly because a derma-bond treatment came off or was not applied. "We do this derma-bond and I think today I don't know if it came off or he didn't use it today and that's what spurred the bleeding late," Roberts said. Despite the issue, Roberts added that Ohtani came out of the outing well. Roberts also acknowledged that extra rest between starts remains potentially on the table given both the knee and blister concerns, stating, "Down the road, could it happen? Potentially, but I think right now, I think we're still in a good spot."
Roberts managed Ohtani through six innings, a decision he explained was made after consulting pitching coach Mark and observing that Ohtani's stuff remained strong. "Just kind of talking to Mark and just watching — the stuff was still good — and just feeling like if we can get him through another inning it would shorten who we need to use for the last three innings," Roberts stated. Roberts also noted that Ohtani had five scoreless innings in the game and that in Pittsburgh, Ohtani was one out away from going seven innings while allowing just one run. Roberts also assessed that Ohtani's sweeper was not as dominant as usual, explaining, "The sweeper wasn't as, you know, lights out, swing and miss as we've seen. He still always finds a way to manage innings." Background context from Roberts indicated that Ohtani was still working through delivery adjustments related to his knee during the start, and that while Ohtani did not give up more than one run in any inning across his first 10 starts of the 2026 season, his last two starts included innings where runs got away.
Roberts also addressed Freddie Freeman's recent offensive resurgence, including a big hit in the game. Roberts attributed Freeman's return to form — noting Freeman was hitting .250 about a month ago — primarily to his physical health. "He just — his body feels good," Roberts explained. Dalton also contributed to a Dodgers rally by drawing a walk. Regarding the decision to deploy Ohtani as a pinch hitter, Roberts mentioned that Ohtani expressed comfort with the at-bat and that Muncy and Ward remained available later in the lineup. "He can hit a homer and I talked to him and he said he felt really comfortable about taking the at bat," Roberts added.
When asked about the Soccer World Cup during the press conference, Roberts mentioned he watches matches when they are on in his office but is not adjusting his schedule for soccer. "I'm not trying to rearrange my schedule to watch soccer. Sorry," he said, adding that he used to play and was "pretty good." Roberts closed by reiterating that the team's current plan is to proceed with Ohtani's next start on June 24 or June 25, with the blister situation continuing to be monitored.