The clock is officially ticking on the Dodgers to make a decision with Shohei Ohtani.

For a third straight game, the two-way star was out of the team’s lineup on Saturday as he continues to battle injuries to his left knee and right biceps — marking the first time in his Dodgers career that Ohtani hasn’t been in the lineup that long.

The question now is whether the club will finally have to relent and put Ohtani on the injured list.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani looks on during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday, September 5, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Under MLB rules, injured list stints can be retroactively backdated by up to three days. That means, if Ohtani isn’t ready to play by Sunday, the Dodgers could put him on the IL and count these past three days as part of the minimum time he will be forced to miss.

For now, it has yet to be decided what will be next for the four-time MVP.

Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani was set to hit in the batting cages on Saturday, and that the team would monitor how he feels afterward.

If all went well, Roberts said it was possible Ohtani could be back in the lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the Nationals.

If not, however, the club will be left with a significantly trickier decision about how to manage him.

Because Ohtani is classified as a two-way player, he would be subject to an absence of at least 15 days if he were placed on the injured list, as opposed to the 10-day minimum stint that applies to normal position players.

Roberts acknowledged that would be “more of a deterrent” to making such a move with Ohtani. Even if he were to be put on the IL on Sunday, he wouldn’t be able to return until Sept. 18, at which point there will only be nine games remaining in their regular-season schedule.

“To not lose him for 15 days is meaningful,” Roberts said.

Roberts also added that, instead of the IL, the Dodgers could continue to rest Ohtani while keeping him on the active roster over the coming week, so long as “he’s trending in the right dircetion.”

However, Roberts said that before Dalton Rushing –– who was set to fill in for Ohtani as designated hitter on Saturday –– was scratched from Saturday’s starting lineup after a recurrence of discomfort in his right elbow, playing through a slightly torn ligament.

Rushing’s uncertain status could now also factor into the Dodgers’ overall roster decisions.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani leaves the field after a win against the Washington Nationals on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

To this point, the Dodgers haven’t placed Ohtani on the injured list for two primary reasons. 

First, he has been playing through his injuries for much of the year and didn’t appear to be impacted until a 6-for-46 stretch over his last 12 games; a slump that was punctuated by a four-strikeout performance on Wednesday in which Ohtani showed visible pain after swings during his final at-bat. To this point, the team’s contention has been that his ailments aren’t severe enough to keep him from potentially playing in the next couple weeks.

Second is uncertainty about whether even a more extended break on the IL would get Ohtani back to 100% physically. After all, his injuries have lingered long enough that they are likely to remain issues over the remainder of the year. If his health isn’t certain to significantly improve, there might still be benefit in giving him the extra time to keep playing as he tries to rediscover his swing.

For now, the Dodgers’ main priority is making sure Ohtani’s condition doesn’t get worse, which is why Roberts has continued to describe his status as day-to-day.

For a third straight day, that meant keeping Ohtani out of the lineup.

When he might return remains to be seen.

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