LOS ANGELES \u2014 Shortly after the Los Angeles Dodgers polished off a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night, Shohei Ohtani checked in with the club\u2019s training staff to report further soreness in his troublesome left knee. And just like that, another wrinkle was added to what should be a frenetic MLB trade deadline weekend for the reigning back-to-back champions.<\/p>\n
Ohtani sat out against the Mariners on Thursday to rest the knee, which has kept him from pitching since July 3. The injury presents a looming question as the Dodgers again hurtle toward October.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just talked to the trainer, and he said maybe tonight might be a good day for him to be down,\u201d manager Dave Roberts said before Thursday\u2019s game.<\/p>\n
Ohtani wanted to play, the manager said, but the organization took the decision out of his hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI appreciate the communication,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cI can\u2019t read minds, the training staff can\u2019t read minds, so just for him to communicate that allows for us to make a decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
This will be an ongoing conversation. Ohtani did not sound certain this week that his knee will be at 100 percent the rest of the way. That\u2019s even after he had an MRI and received an injection of Orthovisc, an injectable gel the Dodgers have described as a \u201clubricant\u201d for his knee, during the All-Star break.\u00a0Although Roberts said Ohtani\u2019s knee has shown \u201cmarked\u201d improvement, it raises at least some red flags that his knee is again an issue so soon after the club\u2019s off day Monday.<\/p>\n
It is unlikely that the Dodgers will shut down Ohtani by placing him on the 10-day injured list to give his knee (and his right biceps<\/a>) a chance to calm down, according to a source close to the situation who requested anonymity given the uncertainty of the plans.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing should be off the table, and nothing is set in stone,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cSo I think it\u2019s more of how he feels.\u201d<\/p>\n Is a fire sale on the horizon for the New York Mets?<\/p>\n Tim Britton and Reuben Pinder<\/p>\n The Dodgers have downplayed Ohtani\u2019s health as a factor in their deadline plans. Maybe it\u2019s just posturing, but odds are they\u2019d be just as interested in acquiring Tarik Skubal even with Ohtani at full strength as they would be with him shut down from pitching.<\/p>\n But Ohtani\u2019s health looms large in the Dodgers\u2019 odds of a third consecutive title, something just four teams have done in baseball history.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not 100 percent,\u201d Roberts said of Ohtani. \u201cVery few players are 100 percent. Then what is it? Is it 70 percent, is it 80 percent, is it 90 percent? For me, there\u2019s still that conversation where it\u2019s like he understands \u2026 the most important part of the season is to come, and he understands his value with our team.\u201d<\/p>\n Ohtani acknowledged this week that there might come a point when he plays \u2013 and pitches \u2013 through discomfort. This injury could be something that doesn\u2019t get right until the offseason.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really something that I have to just deal with over the course of the season,\u201d Ohtani said Tuesday through interpreter Will Ireton.<\/p>\n President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday that part of wanting to shut Ohtani down on the mound is ensuring the knee issue doesn\u2019t cause mechanical changes that lead to arm trouble.<\/p>\n The Dodgers continue to express confidence that Ohtani will return to the mound this season. Roberts said he was \u201cvery confident\u201d Ohtani will be back in the lineup today against the Boston Red Sox.<\/p>\n Time will tell how well the knee holds up. That might matter more than anything the Dodgers do before Monday\u2019s 3 p.m. PT deadline.<\/p>\n As the Skubal trade rumors continue to swirl, expect the Dodgers to be right in the thick of it \u2014 even if Friedman downplayed any needs on his roster<\/a>.<\/p>\n But if a star is available, the Dodgers are calling. Friedman said as much (without naming names) Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cI think our mindset is always, and we\u2019ve talked about this, there just aren\u2019t that many star-level players in the game,\u201d Friedman said. \u201cAny time one is available, we\u2019re always going to participate in those conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n The odds the Tigers (51-58, 4 1\/2 games out of a playoff spot) will trade Skubal seem to rise by the day. That the Dodgers are the industry favorites to land the back-to-back American League Cy Young winner comes as no surprise. They can offer the best prospect package, their farm system is built to absorb significant hits, and money is of no concern. Friedman may not feel like his club needs Skubal, but if the longtime head executive wants him, he\u2019s in the best position to land him.<\/p>\n The Dodgers have the controllable starting pitching the Tigers would covet in a Skubal trade. Emmet Sheehan, who is not eligible for arbitration until next season, is a possible fit.<\/a> Los Angeles is also looking to clear out a logjam of outfielders in their minor-league system. The club was originally looking to rebalance its farm system by trading from its outfield surplus for upper-level middle-infield or catching depth. That is still an avenue the club will explore, but including an outfield prospect in a potential Skubal deal is also on the table.<\/p>\n Rival clubs will inquire about top-ranked prospects Josue De Paula and Eduardo Quintero, but the Dodgers would consider those nonstarters in negotiations. One name Los Angeles would be open to moving, according to multiple team sources, is 21-year-old Zyhir Hope, who is hitting .289 with 21 homers and an .879 OPS in Double A. Mike Sirota, a 23-year-old also in Double A, could also be a trade candidate, though less so than Hope.<\/p>\n