Shohei Ohtani continues to feel discomfort in his left knee after a shortened bullpen session Friday, casting doubt on his anticipated return to the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting rotation Sunday against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani is "not 100%" overall, with the left knee issue that has sidelined him since July 3 still irritating him and a right biceps problem lingering. His typical between-starts session was cut from 30 to 20 pitches.

Roberts acknowledged the difficulty in deciding whether to give Ohtani more time to build up or deploy him in a limited role. If he starts Sunday, Ohtani would pitch only the first inning, with Tyler Glasnow handling the bulk of the innings. That path would give Ohtani five rotation turns before the postseason, though Roberts called reaching five innings "aggressive."

Ohtani was 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts before the injury, striking out 95 in 85⅔ innings. However, Roberts emphasized his offensive value is "hugely important" and cannot be compromised. The Dodgers possess a formidable four-man postseason rotation of Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Glasnow without him.