Shohei Ohtani sat out for a third straight game Saturday as the Dodgers manage a growing list of nagging injuries to their two-way superstar, with manager Dave Roberts acknowledging a trip to the injured list is now a real possibility.

Ohtani has been dealing with soreness in his left knee, discomfort in his right biceps and a neck issue that has limited him in recent weeks. He last played Wednesday against St. Louis, going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in an outing where Roberts said he noticed Ohtani "shaking of the arm" and wincing between swings. Ohtani has not pitched since late August and has already been shut down from throwing as the Dodgers manage his workload.

The slump has coincided with the physical issues: Ohtani, a four-time MVP hitting .279 with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs on the season, has managed just a .137 average — 7-for-51 — over his last 13 games.

Roberts softens his stance on the IL

Asked directly whether Ohtani would avoid the injured list, Roberts stopped short of ruling it out. "Hopeful. But I wouldn't say confident. Hopeful. We'll see," he told reporters, a notable shift from his earlier public position that an IL stint was unlikely. The Dodgers have discussed the possibility of backdating any IL placement to limit the number of games Ohtani would actually miss once healthy, according to Dodger Blue's reporting on the situation.

HOPEFUL. BUT I WOULDN'T SAY CONFIDENT. HOPEFUL. WE'LL SEE.

The timing is delicate for Los Angeles, which is trying to lock up postseason positioning while nursing its most important player through the final stretch of the regular season. Ohtani hasn't taken the mound since July 3 and the team has left open the possibility he doesn't pitch again in 2026 at all, leaning on him purely as a hitter if the knee and biceps issues persist, according to the Washington Post's coverage of his injury situation.

Ohtani was scheduled to take swings in the batting cages over the weekend, with his performance there expected to help determine whether the Dodgers push forward with a return in the coming days or formalize an injured list stint. Roberts has said the team will not rush him back given how much of the season remains and how central Ohtani is to their championship hopes.

The Dodgers have not set a target return date and say updates will follow as Ohtani progresses through treatment.