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Pirates Shut Out the Dodgers as Ohtani Skips Scheduled Start on the Mound Due to Illness
Ohtani, affected by chest cold symptoms, will rest from pitching but continue as designated hitter; Emmett Sheehan (5-2, 3.56 ERA) starts instead, with Ohtani slated to pitch this weekend.
- On September 3, 2025, in Pittsburgh, the Los Angeles Dodgers opted to remove Shohei Ohtani from his planned pitching role against the Pirates, although he remained in the lineup as the designated hitter.
- Ohtani was scratched because he was under the weather with a deep cough and illness symptoms, part of a chest cold affecting several players, leading manager Dave Roberts to push back his pitching start.
- Roberts explained that the strain of pitching while sick was too great compared to hitting, so the team decided to let Ohtani rest and aim for a pitching return during the weekend series in Baltimore.
- Although feeling unwell, Ohtani managed to go 3 for 5 in Tuesday’s game, hitting a milestone home run for the Dodgers and launching a ball at 120 mph—the hardest hit by any Dodger since 2015.
- The Dodgers expect Ohtani to pitch sometime this weekend while continuing to play as DH, marking a cautious approach to his recovery after Tommy John surgery and a focus on collaborative medical decisions.
37 Articles
37 Articles
Press-Telegram
Dodgers push back Shohei Ohtani’s pitching start due to illness
PITTSBURGH — Shohei Ohtani was feeling “under the weather” on Tuesday – and hit a ball 120 mph, the third-highest exit velocity in MLB this year and the hardest-hit ball by any Dodger in the Statcast era (since 2015). But he wasn’t up to pitching on Wednesday. The Dodgers scratched Ohtani from his scheduled start against the Pittsburgh Pirates, though he was in the lineup at DH. “He did a side (throwing session) and didn’t feel good. Kind of ale…
Shohei Ohtani feeling 'under the weather,' scratched from pitching start in Pittsburgh
Shohei Ohtani was in the Dodgers’ lineup as designated hitter for their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the two-way star was scratched from his scheduled pitching start.
Pirates shut out the Dodgers 3-0, as Shohei Ohtani skips scheduled start on the mound due to illness
Andrew McCutchen and Bryan Reynolds homered off last-minute spot starter Emmett Sheehan and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-0 on Wednesday night. Sheehan (5-3) got the nod when the Dodgers opted to let Shohei Ohtani skip his scheduled start while dealing with an illness. Ohtani remained in the lineup, however, and had two of Los Angeles’ five...
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