Ohtani Returns on His Birthday, But the Biceps Question Looms Over LA's All-Star Window

Shohei Ohtani returned to the Dodgers' DH spot as leadoff hitter Sunday against the Padres—his 32nd birthday—after sitting out Saturday due to right biceps tightness. The injury flared up following a season-high 110 pitches Friday, though Ohtani said he felt discomfort only during his final at-bat and was ready to play the next day. The Dodgers chose the conservative route anyway, keeping him out of the starting lineup as a precautionary measure.

The biceps issue is the second time this season Ohtani has dealt with that specific complaint, signaling either a weakness in the recovery or a cumulative load problem as a two-way player. More pressing: manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Saturday that skipping Ohtani's scheduled pitching start Friday before the All-Star break is now "on the table." Ohtani is also managing lingering left-knee soreness and a blister on his right hand—a trio of nagging injuries that, while not major individually, collectively compress his available work windows. With the break arriving in less than a week, the Dodgers face a real choice between protecting their best player or maximizing his impact before the game pauses.

Historically, Ohtani has been a poor performer on his birthday, hitting .115 (3-for-26 career) in such games, though one of those hits was a home run. The small sample warns against overweighting today's result, but it's worth noting context: a DH role against right-handed Padres pitching minimizes the two-way strain. He's not taking the mound, so the biceps and shoulder stress that drove Friday's decision are neutralized.

For bettors, the prop angle centers on whether the Dodgers will actually rest Ohtani's arm entirely before the break or squeeze one more quality start out of him. If Roberts opts for caution—sitting that Friday start—Ohtani's offensive usage over the next four days becomes the only lever LA has to deploy him. That means elevated plate appearances and a higher ceiling on his batting props, since he'll be the DH in every remaining game rather than operating in a more limited role. Conversely, if LA pushes him into that Friday start, his availability Sunday and Monday compresses, and his PA-dependent props (hits, runs, RBIs) face ceiling risk. The injury history this season—two instances of biceps tightness plus the knee and hand issues—suggests the pitching start is more likely to be pulled, making a full DH-only slate through the break the operational baseline.