Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani to return to mound against Rays

After some lingering questions remained, Shohei Ohtani will be the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday afternoon when they close a three-game home series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Ohtani (6-2, 1.06 ERA), a right-hander, has worked through a bout of left knee inflammation that surfaced last Wednesday, saying it likely was the result of poor mechanics during a turn as a pitcher against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ohtani not only had his worst start of the season -- giving up four runs (three earned) and six hits over 6 2/3 innings in his team's 9-8 loss -- he was lifted for a pinch hitter one night later at Pittsburgh, then did not play Friday against the Chicago White Sox.

After he threw a light bullpen session Tuesday that was delayed a day, Ohtani was cleared to pitch Wednesday, but he will not be used as the designated hitter as a precaution.

"I think that anyone that has anything that is kind of potential red flag, certainly we will be watching them closely," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "But he wouldn't start if we felt that we were going to put him in harm's way."

What the Dodgers will be missing at the plate is a power threat who has four home runs over his past six games, including one Tuesday for the only run of a 1-hour, 52-minute pitchers' duel between Los Angeles and Tampa Bay.

Ohtani still does not have enough innings pitched to be listed among the ERA leaders, but it hardly takes away from what has been his best season as a pitcher. He has returned to a full season on the mound for the first time since a second major elbow procedure near the end of the 2023 season.

In three lifetime starts against the Rays, Ohtani is 1-0 with a 1.45 ERA but has not faced them since 2022.

Up for a duel against Ohtani will be Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan (6-4, 3.23 ERA), who tied a season low with four innings while giving up four runs on eight hits in a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. He did tie a season high with seven strikeouts.

McClanahan was 4-0 with a 1.41 ERA in five May starts but is 0-2 with an 8.00 ERA in a pair of outings in June.

"It's frustrating. These last couple go-arounds have not gone my way," McClanahan said. "As much as I want to say that if I compete the way I compete and trust, good things will happen, I want to start seeing some good results. I've let a lot of people down in this room, this organization. Got to pitch better."

He will have to rise to the occasion against the Dodgers, who lead the National League in home runs (102), on-base percentage (.344), slugging percentage (.441) and batting average (.261) while sitting second in runs (391). Washington leads the latter category with 405.

The Rays were held to three singles in Tuesday's loss as Tampa Bay was shut out for the second time in four games. The Rays are 1-4 on a six-game trip to the Los Angeles area that included a visit to the Angels over the weekend.

--Field Level Media