MLB: Dodgers rule out knee surgery for Shohei Ohtani

The Los Angeles Dodgers have ruled out the possibility that their star, Shohei Ohtani, will undergo surgery during this MLB, following a season in which the Japanese player struggled with issues in one of his knees and one of his biceps.

The team's president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman, confirmed that Ohtani, 32, will rest during this offseason rather than undergo surgery.

"We fully expect him to pitch next year," said Friedman. "This is unprecedented what he’s doing, so obviously for us it’s unprecedented. We don’t have any experience to draw from. We can’t go look at how other situations played to learn from the good and the bad. We just have to figure it out together."

"We’re excited about him pitching. So now it’s about, ‘How do we do that? How do we manage through a long season and have him at his best going into October?’ That’s a challenge and I’m confident that we will continue to learn from things as we go," the executive added.

Ohtani's performance this season has been less than stellar, mainly due to physical ailments that hampered him for much of the season.

The Dodgers, reigning World Series champions, were unable to defend their title and were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers (4-0) in the 2026 National League Championship Series.

In the World Series, which begins this Friday, the Brewers will face the Tampa Bay Rays, who defeated the Cleveland Guardians (4-2) in the 2026 American League Championship Series.