Ohtani (thigh) is serving as the designated hitter and batting out of the leadoff spot against the Padres on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Ohtani took a comebacker to his right thigh during Wednesday's game against the Rockies, but the injury isn't severe enough for him to miss Friday's NL West series opener. Ohtani has reached base safely in all 18 games since Aug. 1, and over that span he has posted a 1.266 OPS with 20 runs, four steals, six home runs and 10 RBI in 82 plate appearances.

Ohtani (thigh) is expected to return to the lineup Friday against the Padres, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Ohtani was removed from Wednesday's game after taking a comebacker to the thigh while on the mound. He briefly remained in the contest, suggesting the injury isn't serious. This report confirms that, but it will still be worth ensuring he is in the lineup for Friday's game.

Ohtani has been diagnosed with a right thigh contusion after being hit with a comebacker during Wednesday's loss to the Rockies, Manny Randhawa of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Ohtani was hit by an Orlando Arcia comebacker on the mound during his Wednesday start, but he was able to stay in the game and finish the inning. He took his next at-bat in the top of the fifth, but Alex Call pinch-hit for Ohtani in the top of the eighth with the Dodgers trailing 6-1. Manager Dave Roberts said after the game that Ohtani will get a scheduled day off Thursday, and the hope is Ohtani will be fine for Friday's series opener against the Padres. Ohtani isn't expected to require any further testing on his injured leg.

Ohtani was removed from Wednesday's game against the Rockies in the top of the eighth inning after he was hit in the leg by a comebacker earlier in the contest, Manny Randhawa of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

While pitching, Ohtani was hit in the leg by a comebacker off the bat of Orlando Arcia in the bottom of the fourth. The training staff came out to check on Ohtani, but he stayed in the game to finish out the inning on the mound. Ohtani stayed in the dugout for an extended period of time prior to his plate appearance in the top of the fifth and was eventually pinch-hit for in the eighth with the Dodgers trailing 6-1 on the scoreboard. Manager Dave Roberts may provide an update after the game, but Ohtani should be viewed as day-to-day for now. Los Angeles wraps up the series with Colorado on Thursday afternoon.

Ohtani will start as a pitcher and designated hitter in Wednesday's game against the Rockies but is expected to be out of the lineup for Thursday's series finale at Coors Field, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Ohtani hasn't been given a rest day so far this season, though he did miss two contests in April while on the paternity list. The decision doesn't seem to have anything to do with the All-Star's performance at the plate -- he's reached base safely in 17 straight contests and has slashed .381/.506/.746 with six home runs, 10 RBI, 20 runs, four stolen bases and a 16:21 BB:K during that span. Rather, manager Dave Roberts may just want to make sure Ohtani doesn't wear down in the dog days of the summer, especially as the two-way star continues to pitch deeper into games when he takes the mound. Per Ardaya, the plan is for Ohtani to go five frames in his start Wednesday in Colorado. That evening game is followed by a day game Thursday, which also likely played into the decision to give Ohtani a breather. Will Smith is expected to get a day off his feet behind the plate and serve as the team's DH on Thursday.

Ohtani is expected to draw the start on the mound in Wednesday's contest against the Rockies, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Ohtani will return to the mound versus Colorado, and he will look to rebound after surrendering four runs on five hits over 4.1 innings in his last outing against the Angels on Wednesday. He is expected to pitch five innings against the Rockies, according to his manager Dave Roberts. The 31-year-old has posted a 3.47 ERA and with 32 punchouts over 23.1 innings in nine appearances on the mound this season.

Ohtani allowed four runs on five hits and no walks while striking out seven batters over 4.1 innings in a no-decision against the Angels on Wednesday. He also went 1-for-4 with a triple, a run and a walk as a hitter.

EDGE Analysis

Ohtani took the mound for the first time in his career against the Angels, with whom he played his first six big-league campaigns. The two-way star again showed flashes of brilliance on the bump, racking up 14 whiffs and seven punchouts while throwing 50 of 80 pitches for strikes. The pitch count itself was noteworthy -- It was by far his highest this season, exceeding the 54 pitches he threw against St. Louis in his previous outing. Wednesday also marked the first time Ohtani has pitched into the fifth frame this year, though he may have run out of gas late, as the final three batters he faced got a hit against him, culminating in a two-run double off the bat of Zach Neto. While that marred Ohtani's final line, the bigger picture is that he would have been allowed to finish five frames had the Angels not strung together the trio of hits to end his night. With that in mind, Ohtani seems to be at the point where he'll be allowed to pitch deep enough into games to qualify for wins, which should further boost his already robust fantasy appeal.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani will be limited to pitching four innings in his next start Wednesday against the Angels in Anaheim, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Dodgers are continuing to have Ohtani get stretched out incrementally as a pitcher since he made his team debut on the mound June 16 after completing his recovery from his second career Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in September 2023. Though he's already made eight starts as a pitcher and has delivered excellent ratios (2.37 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 25:5 K:BB), he's tossed just 19 innings in total and has yet to work deep enough into any of those outings to qualify for a win. Ohtani won't be in the mix for a win Wednesday since he'll be limited to four innings for a second outing in a row in addition to serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter, but assuming he comes out of the appearance feeling well physically, he should be ready to make a five-inning start when his turn in the rotation comes up again next week.

Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two walks and a second run scored in Tuesday's 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Angels.

EDGE Analysis

Ohtani has homered in four straight games, his second streak of at least that length since the All-Star break. He's on an 11-game hitting streak to begin August as well, going 18-for-41 (.439) with 11 walks so far this month. The superstar has 43 homers this season, just two behind Seattle's Cal Raleigh (45) for the major-league lead. Ohtani has also batted .284 with a 1.020 OPS, 79 RBI, 114 runs scored and 17 stolen bases through 118 contests. He is expected to start on the mound versus his former team Wednesday.

Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk Monday in a loss to the Angels.

EDGE Analysis

The Dodgers failed to score through seven innings, but Ohtani finally broke the seal with a 389-foot solo shot in the eighth. The long ball put the slugger back into a tie for the NL homer lead with Kyle Schwarber, who hit his 42nd home run earlier in the day. Ohtani has gone deep in three straight contests and in four of his past five games. He's in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak during which he's batting .447 (17-for-38) with seven extra-base hits, five RBI, 12 runs and four stolen bases.