Shohei Ohtani will not pitch in the All-Star Game; he will make his third start against the Royals this week.

The National League All-Star Game manager has excluded a potential pitcher, Shohei Ohtani.

Before the Dodgers take on the last-place Colorado Rockies in a three-game series in Los Angeles, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts humorously declined the idea of allowing Ohtani to pitch in the midsummer classic (All-Star Game), promptly answering "no."

Dave Roberts is uncertain when Ohtani will pitch again, possibly during the game against the Royals in Kansas on Saturday, U.S. time.

"We'll have to wait and see!" Roberts said, who managed the All-Star Game after winning the National League championship last year and then the World Series, "I have to ensure the outcome of the game is not in question."

In his last game on Sunday, Ohtani made his second appearance against the Washington Nationals, throwing 12 strikes out of 18 pitches and recording two strikeouts, with his fastball reaching a top speed of 98.8 mph.

On June 16 against the San Diego Padres, Ohtani made his first appearance pitching in the majors since 2023, pitching one inning, using 28 pitches, allowing two hits and one earned run.

In his first two outings since returning, Ohtani only pitched one inning; though in the All-Star Game, he only needs to pitch one inning, stillRobertsbelieves Ohtani is still in an adjustment phase and is reluctant to risk putting their most important player on the mound.

According to the Japanese media outlet Number Web, Ohtani was originally expected to pitch again after the All-Star Game, and the team was planning for this, including scheduling one to two live batting practice sessions. However, 48 hours before his first official game back, Ohtani proactively suggested to manager Dave Roberts, "If it's just one inning, I can do it directly in the game."

This suggestion became a turning point, but the final decision about his return was not up to the coaching staff, but rather determined by team doctor Neal ElAttrache. ElAttrache had previously put the brakes on Ohtani during spring training due to his fastball speed; after evaluation this time, he deemed the situation safe and decided to allow him to return to the MLB mound.

Prior to this, Ohtani had undergone his third live batting practice session, simulating three innings with a total of 44 pitches. Although he completed it successfully, it left him overly fatigued, and he admitted, "The intensity felt like playing a doubleheader." Roberts also noted, "Live batting practice usually takes place five hours before a game, starting preparations at noon, followed by ice therapy after practice, and then hitting in the game, which takes at least 10 hours of high-intensity effort throughout the day."

As a result, Ohtani proposed changing his rehabilitation method to a game-like approach, gradually increasing the number of innings pitched from one to allow rehabilitation to coincide with actual game conditions, easing both the physical and mental burden while addressing the team's current rotation and bullpen injury challenges.

Despite Ohtani's positive attitude, the team remains cautious. ElAttrache admitted, "If he gets injured again, his pitching career could be over." Therefore, the Dodgers are strictly monitoring his rehabilitation progress, expecting to adopt a slow approach to extending his innings pitched before the All-Star Game.