DETROIT –– Shohei Ohtani appears unlikely to make his pitching return with the Dodgers on Sunday, as had been increasingly expected earlier this week, after reporting to the team’s training staff that he still didn’t feel 100% following a bullpen session on Friday.

“That’s the hard part right now, is trying to figure out if he’s not 100% with the overall body, is it worth giving him an inning to build up or not,” manager Dave Roberts said. “So I think that’s kind of where we’re at right now, trying to weigh the positives and negatives.”

According to Roberts, neither the left knee nor right biceps issues Ohtani has dealt with in recent months are completely healed yet.

And while the manager said he still expected Ohtani — who has not made a pitching start since July 3 — to return to the mound soon, he also made it clear the club would be extremely cautious with his health.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani, front, winds up to throw during a practice session in the outfield before a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, August 27, 2026, in Atlanta. AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser

“His value offensively is hugely important,” Roberts said of the two-way star, who has continued to serve as the Dodgers’ everyday designated hitter. “So if throwing potentially cuts into that, that’s not worth the squeeze.”

If Ohtani does not start Sunday (the Dodgers have Tyler Glasnow lined up to pitch instead if needed), Roberts said it’s also unlikely that the right-hander would turn right around and pitch in the opening game of the team’s homestand next Tuesday, instead indicating that the club would kick the can farther down the road on Ohtani’s pitching return.

Even if Ohtani starts Sunday, it would only be for one inning.

The longer he waits to make his return to the mound, however, the less time he will have to build up his pitch count over the rest of the regular season.

“I wouldn’t bet against Shohei,” Roberts said. “But I still think that [getting built up to] five innings by the end of the season … that’s an aggressive play.”

Granted, the Dodgers had seemed willing to be aggressive with Ohtani’s buildup over the last several weeks, as he progressed from bullpen sessions to a 30-pitch round of live batting practice last Saturday.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani, left, walks off the field after throwing a practice session before a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, August 27, 2026, in Atlanta. AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser

The hope was that, with still a month remaining in the regular season, he would have enough time before the start of the playoffs to get stretched out for full-length starts and resume his place as an anchor in the Dodgers’ starting rotation (he was 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts at the beginning of the season).

But now, uncertainty abounds again, with Ohtani’s ongoing knee and biceps issues continued to leave his pitching plans unclear.

“I think in the moment, yeah, he still feels that there’s an opportunity [to return to a full-time two-way role], and I’m not trying to say there isn’t,” Roberts said. “But I do think at the end of the day, he’s very aware of our roster strengths, weaknesses and his value to the ballclub.”