The Dodgers’ pitching plans took a turn with Saturday’s rainout in the Bronx, but Shohei Ohtani still appears lined up to take the mound next week in Philadelphia.
Los Angeles and New York will now play a split doubleheader on Sunday after heavy rain wiped out Saturday’s game, the first time the Dodgers have had to deal with a doubleheader since the “hurriquake” of August 2023. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to start the first game, while the club has not yet named a starter for the second. Ohtani, though, will not pitch in New York.
His next scheduled start is Wednesday against the Phillies, according to Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times, and that’s the spot where the Dodgers are expecting him to resume pitching duties. Whether he actually takes on two-way work that day remains unresolved.
Ohtani was supposed to be in the lineup for all three games against the Yankees. The plan was for him to play catch and throw off the mound in the coming days, then let the team judge how he responded before locking in the pitching schedule.
A Wednesday start would also give Ohtani extra recovery time before the Dodgers’ day off. When asked directly if Ohtani would handle both roles Wednesday, Dave Roberts kept it simple: “We’ll see when we get there.”
Ohtani hasn’t pitched since July 3 against the San Diego Padres. He enters the second half with an 8-2 record and a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts.
Kiké Hernández is also working his way back. He has played in only two games this season and has been sidelined since May 27 with an oblique strain. Sonja Chen of MLB.com reported that Hernández is on a rehab assignment and could be back during the Dodgers’ next homestand.
Hernández started that rehab stint Friday night with Triple-A Oklahoma City, beginning with a weekend series in Tacoma, Wash. He is not expected back during the Dodgers’ three-city trip through the Yankees, Phillies and Mets, but he could be activated from the 10-day injured list when Los Angeles returns home on July 28.
The rainout also brought back a familiar reminder for the Yankees, a team defined by championship expectations and 27 titles. Their 2024 World Series loss to the Dodgers still stings, and Aaron Boone didn’t hide that before Saturday’s game was postponed.
“The disappointment of getting to the end and playing for it all and coming up short, that’s one of those things that leaves a scar,” Boone said. “You want to be in a position to be in a World Series and play for it all.
We had that opportunity and came up short. So there’s pain and disappointment that comes with that, and it’s part of our baseball journey.”
In Other News...
Andrew Friedman May Regret What He Gave Kyle Tucker
Kyle Tuckers first season in Los Angeles has been more steady than spectacular, which is part of why the Dodgers are already getting a reminder of how unusual his contract is. The outfielder has been average on both sides of the ball so far, and in a season where every roster decision gets magnified, that matters for a team that built its reputation on keeping as much flexibility as possible.
Andrew Friedman has long been known for avoiding the kind of player-friendly escape hatches Tucker received, so this deal stands out as a real departure from the Dodgers usual playbook. If Tuckers production stays in this range, the front office could be staring at a situation it has spent years trying to avoid, with the player holding far more leverage over what comes next than Friedman typically allows. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Cut Ties With Young Pitcher After Sudden Downward Turn
A rough 2026 season at Single-A has cost one of the Dodgers young pitching projects a spot in the organization, after a sudden downturn that became hard to ignore. The right-hander had been part of the clubs international pipeline since signing in December 2023, and his path through the lower minors had already featured a mix of encouraging moments and uneven results before this years struggles took hold.
The final outing on July 8 was especially difficult, and it fit the broader picture of a pitcher who could not find any rhythm this summer. Over his limited work at Single-A, he was hit with a sky-high ERA and issued more walks than strikeouts, a combination that left the Dodgers with little choice as they moved on and opened the door to whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Let A Yankees Sweep Slip Away In Familiar Fashion
The Dodgers had the sweep within reach after taking the opener of their doubleheader against the Yankees, but the night settled into the kind of grind that has too often followed this club when the bats go quiet. Los Angeles added Kyle Hurt as the 27th man for the twin bill, and the right-hander got into the game before heading back to Triple-A, another reminder of how much the Dodgers had to piece together as they tried to finish off New York.
Instead, the offense managed only one run on four hits and four walks, leaving the bullpen to carry the load for most of the second game. Los Angeles got eight innings from its relievers and still came away empty, with Evan Phillips taking the loss after the Dodgers could not protect a tie game late. It was a familiar kind of letdown for a team that had already done the hard part earlier in the day. [Read more 🡒]