LOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani was out of the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup once again Friday, marking the first time this season he has been absent for back-to-back games.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani, who expressed soreness in his neck and along his right arm late in Wednesday's game, is still day-to-day, though he softened his stance about a potential stint on the injured list.
"Hopeful," Roberts said when asked about Ohtani not going on the IL, "but I wouldn't say confident. Hopeful. We'll see."
After the Dodgers' 5-3 win over the Washington Nationals, Roberts added that he doesn't expect Ohtani in the lineup on Saturday, either, though they'll make a final determination after being re-evaluated by the team's training staff. If Ohtani is still feeling discomfort over the weekend, the Dodgers might have to temporarily shut him down, something they've avoided as he battled small ailments throughout the season.
Ohtani has not thrown since his abbreviated bullpen session last Friday, when he continued to experience pain in his left knee and right bicep. In previous times when he wasn't throwing, Ohtani still found ways to keep his arm active by doing drills with weighted balls. But Roberts said Ohtani hasn't worked with those for "a few days."
Asked what that means for his pitching progression, Roberts said: "Certainly pushes it back."
Ohtani has not pitched in a game since July 3 and has slumped offensively in recent weeks, with seven hits and 20 strikeouts over his past 51 at-bats. His overall numbers -- a .906 OPS with 30 home runs, an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA -- are still good enough to contend for the NL MVP.
But the Dodgers are growing concerned that Ohtani might be wearing down at the worst time, with 3½ weeks remaining until the start of the playoffs. Roberts said Ohtani has been "very agreeable" about sitting out these past two games, but he hasn't necessarily acknowledged that the physical ailments that have prevented him from pitching could be affecting his hitting.
To Roberts, he doesn't need to.
"What we saw a couple nights ago wasn't him," Roberts said of Ohtani. "So, clearly he was not feeling well."