Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani not in lineup for 4th straight game, may return Monday

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani wasn't in the starting lineup Sunday night against the Washington Nationals, marking his fourth consecutive missed start due to right biceps, left knee and neck ailments.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters prior to the game that Ohtani has made enough progress in his recovery that he could return to action as early as Monday against the Cincinnati Reds.

"(Saturday) was a good day, came out of it feeling well, so if nothing else changes or it continues to trend, I see him in there (Monday)," Roberts said.

The Dodgers have resisted placing Ohtani on the 15-day injured list, as required for two-way players, though Roberts said Saturday that continued absences would make that a bigger possibility.

A complicating factor is that Ohtani has now missed enough time that the Dodgers would be unable to make a retroactive IL stint. He hasn't played since going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.

Ohtani, 32, is 2-for-23 with 11 strikeouts in his last six games. He is batting .279 with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs in 133 games this season. His last homer was on Aug. 18.

Ohtani was among the National League Cy Young Award contenders in the first half of the season after going 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts while pitching in a six-man rotation.

--Field Level Media