Shohei Ohtani allowed three earned runs over six innings and was pulled for a pinch hitter in the seventh. Harry How / Getty Images
July 4, 2026 Updated 12:37 am EDT
LOS ANGELES — Everything for the Los Angeles Dodgers starts with Shohei Ohtani, which meant eyebrows were raised when Miguel Rojas stepped into the on-deck circle in Ohtani’s place in the seventh inning of Friday’s game against the San Diego Padres.
Ohtani threw 110 pitches across six innings Friday, the most pitches he’s thrown in a start since 2023, while working on a season-most eight days of rest between starts. The four-time MVP went hitless through his three at-bats as most of the Dodgers’ lineup went quiet against Padres starter Michael King. The Dodgers finally broke through in the seventh, putting on a pair of base runners before taking a 4-3 lead on Teoscar Hernández’s grand slam off reliever Adrian Morejon. When Ohtani’s turn came up three batters later, Rojas stepped into the batter’s box in his place and ripped a double.
It wasn’t immediately clear what was bothering Ohtani, who has been playing through a swollen left knee and a blister on his right middle finger, though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday afternoon, “The knee feels as good as it’s felt in quite some time, so that’s encouraging for tonight.”
This story will be updated.
Jul 4, 2026
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