On 32nd birthday, Shohei Ohtani returns to the Dodgers’ lineup after right biceps tightness scare

Shohei Ohtani’s 32nd birthday arrived on the heels of a precautionary absence. The Dodgers’ two-way star missed Saturday’s game due to right biceps tightness, but returned to action Sunday, listed as the Dodgers’ leadoff designated hitter in the series against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.

The timeline started with Ohtani’s pitching appearance on Friday, when he threw and then exited with the Dodgers navigating the biceps issue during the day. In Saturday’s absence, his status reflected a problem that had become noticeable enough to change the team’s plans, and when he did play on Friday he still logged enough work that the issue later became a bigger question for how quickly he could be ready again.

On the active side of the timeline, Ohtani did not remain idle. After his pitching start on Friday, the Dodgers used him as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, a sign that the team viewed him as capable of contributing at the plate while monitoring the right biceps closely. Saturday, however, was a different decision point. Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani reported feeling “considerably better” heading into Saturday, but the Dodgers still kept him out of the starting lineup as a precaution.

Ohtani himself did not suggest a sudden derailment of the season, and MLB reported that the biceps tightness was similar to one he experienced earlier this season. The issue flared after he threw a season-high 110 pitches on Friday. The Dodgers also had reason to be cautious because Ohtani described only discomfort during his final at-bat, meaning he did not appear to be in full-game distress, even as the pitching workload had created risk for the following day.

As of Saturday’s discussion, the next big decision was whether he would make another pitching start before the All-Star break. Roberts left the door open to skipping that next step, with MLB noting the question centered on how the biceps and his broader body management were trending. Beyond the right biceps, Ohtani has also been dealing with lingering soreness in his left knee, and a blister on his right hand, factors that can affect both pitching readiness and the daily grind of hitting.

Dodgers fans also got a reminder that Ohtani’s birthdays have not always come with eye-popping statistical results. MLB noted that across his career, he has not enjoyed great numbers on his birthday, entering this season with three hits in 26 at-bats, a.115 average, though one of those hits was a home run. Sunday’s lineup move placed the focus back on what he can do immediately, and the leadoff role continued the Dodgers’ pattern of treating him as a lineup anchor.

For the Dodgers, the matchup is not only about one player. With Ohtani back, Los Angeles looked to continue building on a favorable stretch against San Diego, where they were aiming for their first four-game sweep of the Padres at Dodger Stadium since April 30-May 3, 2009. The immediate watch item is whether Ohtani can keep the leadoff production going while the team makes a rational, body-first decision about the pitching portion of his schedule.

Sports medicine calendars rarely line up neatly with milestone dates, and Ohtani’s return underscores that. The biceps tightened just enough to keep him out for a day, but it also improved enough to bring him right back into a central offensive role. The next question, in practical terms, is whether this week turns into a smooth runway toward another potential pitching outing, or whether the left knee soreness, right-hand blister, or the right biceps again dictates a conservative approach.