The second half of the 2026 season for the Los Angeles Dodgers will officially get underway on Friday when they open a three-game series in The Bronx against the New York Yankees.
It will be the first time the Dodgers are returning to Yankee Stadium since defeating the Yankees in five games in the 2024 World Series.
The Dodgers also announced encouraging news about their superstar, Shohei Ohtani.
Prior to tonight's game against the Yankees, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced that Ohtani is expected to pitch Wednesday when the Dodgers play the Philadelphia Phillies.
Per Roberts, Ohtani received a lubricating shot in his knee during the All-Star break.
This news on Ohtani comes after it was announced that he would not participate in the All-Star Game this year due to left knee irritation. It's been no secret that Los Angeles has been very cautious with how they use their superstar on the mound, nearly three years after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
After not pitching at all during his first season with the club in 2024, Ohtani eventually returned to pitching last year on a limited basis, appearing in only 14 games and logging an ERA of 2.87 with 62 strikeouts across 62 innings.
This season, however, has been an exceptional campaign for the 32-year-old on the mound. Ohtani was named the NL Pitcher of the Month in April after posting a dazzling 0.60 ERA in five starts. Overall, Ohtani is 8-2 in 14 starts this season, with a 1.79 ERA, 95 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.95 in 85.2 innings of work.
Those exceptional pitching stats for Ohtani go along with his 22 home runs, 58 RBI and a .952 OPS through 92 games.
Ohtani is now slated to return to the Dodgers' starting rotation. Although this unit has dealt with some injuries this year, it has been stellar for the most part.
Los Angeles also opens the second half of their 2026 campaign with a commanding 11.5 game lead in the NL West.
