Sunday, July 19, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

Yoshinobu Yamamoto tossed his first regular-season complete game. In an 8–2 Los Angeles Dodgers’ triumphant effort over the New York Yankees, the Dodgers received seven walks and many sun hits on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. This game is the first game of a doubleheader.

The news of the day for the Dodgers is that Shohei Ohtani won’t start on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. According to Dave Roberts, it is going to be a long layoff for Ohtani from pitching.

Since late May, an irritated left knee has bothered Ohtani. During the All-Star break, he received a lubricant shot. The troublesome knee bothers him more while pitching.

The Dodgers need Ohtani’s bat more than his super pitching. Although most pundits expect the Dodgers to obtain another starter at the trading deadline, the Dodgers don’t need one. Blake Snell is on a rehabilitation assignment after having loose bodies removed from his pitching elbow and expects to return in early August. Tyler Glasnow is throwing bullpen sessions, so he should be back sometime during the season.

Since joining the Dodgers before the 2024 season, Ohtani has been an offensive force. He has hit 54 and 55 home runs, respectively. The Dodgers don’t have anyone who can produce offensively like Ohtani, and no team will trade an Ohtani-type hitter.

Although Ohtani is an excellent pitcher, he is more valuable to his team as a DH. The sore knee doesn’t bother him while hitting as much as it does while he pitches.