Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani to miss All-Star Game, next mound start because of left knee irritation

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will miss next week’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia because of continued irritation in his left knee.

The Dodgers added that Ohtani would not make his scheduled start on the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night, but would continue to start at designated hitter throughout the weekend.

Ohtani has been dealing with discomfort in his left knee for at least a month. The right-hander had an outing cut short against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 11 because of inflammation in the knee.

The Dodgers said that after their series against the D-backs ends on Sunday, Ohtani will have some “interventions” done on the knee to get ready for the second half of the season, which will cause him to miss the All-Star Game.

The four-time MVP has once again been one of the best players in the big leagues this season and stands alone as a two-way player.

Ohtani is batting .290 with 20 homers and 56 RBIs and is 8-2 on the mound with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings.

Ohtani’s absence will be a blow for baseball’s midsummer showcase at Citizens Bank Park. The Japanese star — who turned 32 earlier this week — is among the game’s most popular players and led MLB in jersey sales last year.

He hit his 300th career homer on Tuesday night, a leadoff shot against Colorado’s Michael Lorenzen that made him the first Japanese-born player in the majors to reach the milestone.

The Dodgers are the two-time defending World Series champions and has baseball’s best record at 61-33 entering Friday.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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