Shohei Ohtani scratched from Wednesday start, will pitch Friday vs. Padres

SACRAMENTO — The Dodgers have adjusted Shohei Ohtani's pitching schedule, scratching him from his planned start on Wednesday and pushing him back to Friday night against the Padres.

Dave Roberts said the decision was made to give Ohtani additional rest during one of the team’s busiest stretches of the season, with the Dodgers in the middle of playing 13 games in 13 days. The adjustment allows Ohtani to stay on track while reducing the workload, and he remains lined up to make two starts before the All-Star break.

With Ohtani moved back, the Dodgers are expected to deploy a bullpen game on Wednesday against the Athletics. Roki Sasaki is scheduled to take the ball Thursday against San Diego before Ohtani returns to the mound Friday.

Ric Tapia – The Sporting Tribune

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium on June 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.

The Dodgers' updated pitching plan now looks like this:

• Wednesday vs. Athletics: Bullpen game

• Thursday vs. Padres: Roki Sasaki

• Friday vs. Padres: Shohei Ohtani

The scheduling tweak also creates a path for Ohtani to potentially pitch in the All-Star Game on July 14 in Philadelphia. If selected for that role, he could be available to throw an inning while still remaining on schedule heading into the second half.

For now, Roberts emphasized the move was simply about managing Ohtani's workload during a demanding stretch of the schedule, not the result of any injury concern. The Dodgers will lean on their bullpen Wednesday before turning to Sasaki and Ohtani to close out the week.