NEW YORK — Another day, another new twist in Shohei Ohtani’s knee injury saga.

The Dodgers’ two-way star did not throw a bullpen session as originally expected Saturday, after having what manager Dave Roberts described as “regression” with his left knee issue following a 31-pitch bullpen session earlier in the week.

“[He] just doesn’t feel 100%, because I think that the last ‘pen that he had, there was a little bit of regression,” Roberts said. “So we want to make sure that that doesn’t happen again.”

Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani made his last appearance on the mound July 3. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

On Wednesday in Philadelphia, Ohtani threw off a mound for the first time in two weeks — and the first time since he had a lubricant injection in his ailing knee during the All-Star break.

Initially, the team said that session went well. But both Roberts and pitching coach Mark Prior noted that the training staff would be monitoring how Ohtani felt in the following days, wanting to maintain a “fluid” plan with the four-time MVP’s knee recovery.

On Friday, Roberts said that if Ohtani –– who has continued to serve as the Dodgers’ designated hitter, since his knee problem hasn’t impacted his swing –– felt good on Saturday, he was expected to throw another bullpen.

However, he evidently didn’t, leaving his next steps as a pitcher unclear for now.

“Obviously not ideal, him throwing his last bullpen and going backwards, essentially,” Roberts said. “That’s disappointing, because you throw a bullpen to continue to build up.”

Roberts did reiterate that he “absolutely” expected Ohtani to pitch again this season, and said that long-term, “as far as worry, concern, we don’t have any of that.” He also set a soft target of having Ohtani return to the rotation at some point in August, though didn’t offer any further specifics for his timeline.

“Everything is kind of fluid,” Roberts said. “Just trying to figure out what’s best.”

Ohtani has not made a pitching start since July 3, and has been battling his knee injury –– which is believed to have been caused by flaws in his mechanics that put added force on his front landing leg –– since mid-June.

The 32-year-old had a pitching start before the All-Star break scratched, in preparation for his lubricant injection, and has been out of the Dodgers’ rotation ever since. He has not personally addressed reporters since before the All-Star break, either.

“[He feels] better than before the break,” Roberts said. “But again, you think that you take the break and then you come back and throw your ‘pen, then you can still build up … The thought was he’d throw one [bullpen session earlier this week] and throw another one today, but it just wasn’t to be.”

Roberts was asked if a break from hitting (and running the bases, where the two-way star has been notably aggressive in recent days) might also benefit Ohtani’s knee, but indicated that wasn’t a current consideration.

“From his words, the hitting, the running, as he has done the last couple nights, doesn’t affect him,” Roberts said.

Pitching, however, still does, leaving his status on the mound an ongoing question.

“We’re not going to move forward until he feels 100% confident, we feel 100% confident that we should do it,” Roberts said. “So right now we didn’t do it.”

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