Ohtani's Unhealed Left Knee Injury Prompts US Media to Slam Dodgers for "Lack of Caution"

The Dodgers' Japanese two-way sensation, Shohei Ohtani, has been postponing his scheduled starts because his left knee hasn't fully recovered, making his comeback to pitching unclear. Brian Kenny, host of the MLB Network's program MLB Now, finally lost patience and lambasted the team on air, saying they were "literally shoving the golden goose into the oven."

Discussing Ohtani's knee issue, Kenny did not hold back: "I've said it many times before about Shohei Ohtani—the Dodgers are essentially roasting the golden goose. And now here we are again, he's skipping another start. Look at his swing; he's still limping. It's obvious his knee is bothering him. I keep hearing people say, 'Oh, we're being extremely cautious with Shohei.' That's complete nonsense. They are not being cautious at all!"

However, former MLB star Sean Casey disagreed with Kenny's take: "I completely disagree with Kenny. Look, in a long season, injuries are normal. I know everyone sees Ohtani as a golden goose, but it's unrealistic to think we should immediately shut him down the moment he feels any discomfort. Remember, he's a two-way player who chooses to pitch and hit—it's his own path. We have to respect his personal will."

Kenny responded by emphasizing: "I've watched several games on TV this year where Ohtani pitched six perfect innings, and then Dave Roberts sent him out for the seventh. I was screaming at the TV: 'Stop pitching him!' If it were Paul Skenes wanting to throw seven or eight innings, I'd have no problem. But Ohtani is different. He's already thrown six, and he's the best hitter on the team! Please, Roberts, let him rest! Honestly, the Dodgers are running Ohtani in fifth gear all the time—they need to downshift to second or third gear occasionally!"