Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced on July 4, 2026, that Shohei Ohtani will not serve as designated hitter on July 5 due to precautionary right bicep tightness.
Roberts clarified that the issue arose specifically from Ohtani's last swing of the game rather than from his pitching, stating, "his bicep didn't bother him while throwing. It was when he took his last swing." Roberts added that the team will give Ohtani a day to fully recover and treat the area. He also noted that Ohtani had dealt with a similar bicep issue a couple of months earlier, though it resolved quickly and did not cause him to miss playing time. Roberts acknowledged he was unaware of that earlier episode until July 4, saying it "was so benign that I didn't hear about it until tonight."
On the subject of Ohtani's next scheduled pitching start before the All-Star break, Roberts said skipping it should be on the table. "I think it should be on the table," Roberts stated. "Obviously we're not going to just make that decision right now, but I think that anything's on the table certainly." He explained that reading and reacting to what Ohtani's body tells him is critical given the physical toll of being a two-way player. Roberts also noted that on a night when Ohtani threw 110 pitches, the team must be attentive to those signals. Regarding the All-Star Game, Roberts said he does not expect Ohtani to pitch in it but acknowledged it is not a zero-percent chance, adding that participating is ultimately Ohtani's own decision.
Roberts assessed Ohtani's pitching performance as a good outing overall but pointed to efficiency as an area of concern, noting that Ohtani walked the first two batters in the first inning, gave up a home run to Merrill, and left a sinker up in the sixth that Bogaerts hit the other way for a double. "With the stuff that he has, he's just got to be more efficient to be able to get into that seventh inning, and the last few starts, he just hasn't given himself a chance," Roberts said. Catcher Dalton Rushing, who caught and called pitches for Ohtani, noted that the San Diego Padres had faced Ohtani just a week and a half earlier, giving them a better sense of his approach. Rushing also explained that in-game communication with Ohtani relied on interpreters Mark and Will for translation between innings, since Ohtani does not sit in the dugout like a traditional pitcher. Rushing described being on the same page with Ohtani for most of the night as a boost of confidence, though he acknowledged the challenge of calling for a pitcher with so many high-quality pitch options.
Roberts also addressed the broader division context, noting that back-to-back comeback wins over the San Diego Padres carry weight in the standings race. "For us, we're just stacking wins," he said. "It certainly takes the wind out of their sails." When asked to rate Teoscar Hernández's bat flip after his go-ahead hit against the Padres, Roberts admitted he had been watching the ball and missed it entirely, then asked reporters whether it was a good one. The decision on whether to skip Ohtani's next start before the All-Star break remains open, with Roberts indicating the team will continue to monitor how Ohtani's body responds before making a final call.