Dodgers hit with alarming Shohei Ohtani prediction

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani. Scott Marshall-Imagn Images

Dodgers hit with alarming Shohei Ohtani prediction

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Jul 4, 2026 1:19 PM ET

The most electrifying player in baseball might have to make a decision soon.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is currently dealing with a biceps injury, and he had to leave the last game vs. the San Diego Padres as a precaution. He's also dealt with blister and leg issues, and with the team always erring on the side of caution with him, it might not let him do what he does best.

According to MLB insider Buster Olney, he may not be a two-way player again for the remainder of his career.

Shohei Ohtani may not pitch and hit again on the same day

"I think it’s something that tells us that going forward, this is not gonna be something he’s gonna do to the end of his career," Olney said on "SportsCenter." "It's really difficult to manage both the hitting and the pitching at the same time."

“I think it’s something that tells us that going forward, this is not gonna be something he’s gonna do to the end of his career.”@Buster_ESPN on the Dodgers managing Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/RqUl2sBwRm
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 4, 2026

The Japanese superstar admitted that he's been dealing with this ailment for a while now, though he doesn't expect it to be that serious.

"It's the same location that I felt a couple months ago," Ohtani said through an interpreter (h/t MLB). "It went away pretty relatively quickly, so I expect that to happen again... On the swing, I did feel it, but I was able to play through it."

The Dodgers shut down all speculation about a potential long-term absence, but as Olney said, they might be more selective with what they allow him to do. Ohtani has won eight of his 14 starts, posting a 1.79 ERA in the process.

But with the Dodgers sitting in first place in the division and logging a 58-31 record, they might err on the side of caution and take it easy on their best player, giving him more days off between starts or having him just hit or pitch, not both.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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