Shohei Ohtani out of lineup for third straight game as Dodgers weigh possible IL stint

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani is out of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting lineup for the third straight game as the team continues to weigh the possibility of placing the two-way star on the injured list.

It marks the first time Ohtani has not started three consecutive games in his Dodgers tenure.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that he was “hopeful” Ohtani would not need an IL stint, but he added that he “would not say confident.”

“It’s just more of thinking (it) through,” Roberts said. “If three days and we’re back in the same spot two days later, then it wasn’t the right decision. So if we’re taking the time, we got to make sure that once he plays again, we feel good.”

That came one day after general manager Brandon Gomes downplayed the notion of placing Ohtani on the IL despite Ohtani obviously playing through discomfort.

Ohtani has played through a balky knee that has sidelined him from pitching in a major-league game since July 3. He’s also been plagued with right biceps soreness, which could have contributed to lingering neck pain. Ohtani has denied multiple media requests over the past three weeks. He has not spoken with reporters since Aug. 17.

After weeks of ramping up his throwing arm, Ohtani was supposedly close to returning to a major-league mound, with the Dodgers identifying last Sunday’s game against the Detroit Tigers as the earliest Ohtani could pitch in a game. However, he was shut down from pitching the day before, with the Dodgers citing total body soreness, saying Ohtani was “not at 100 percent.”

Ohtani remained in the starting lineup the next three games as the designated hitter. But after a four-strikeout game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, Roberts acknowledged that Ohtani no longer looked healthy.

“Tonight was kind of the tip of the iceberg,” Roberts said Wednesday. “But I’ve seen it over the last couple of weeks, where he hasn’t been who he is.”

Gomes followed up before Thursday’s game against St. Louis, the first game Ohtani missed, and dismissed discussions of placing Ohtani on the IL.

“Nothing has indicated that it should be an IL at this point,” Gomes said.

“It really hasn’t even been something that we’ve discussed,” he later added.

Clearly, things have changed on that front. While the Dodgers would prefer to keep Ohtani active and available, his health concerns have forced the organization to make a decision. Teams can backdate IL stints retroactive to three days prior. The Dodgers will likely take at least one more day to give Ohtani the best chance of returning before finalizing that choice.

This story will be updated.