Ohtani still not 100 percent, status for Sunday's start remains in doubt

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DETROIT (AP) — Shohei Ohtani's status for Sunday's start against the Detroit Tigers remains uncertain after he dealt with knee discomfort in a light bullpen session before Friday's game.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Ohtani's knee still isn't pain free, and he's also having minor issues with the biceps muscle that troubled him earlier in the inning.

The two-way star hasn't pitched since throwing six innings in a 4-3 win against the San Diego Padres on July 3, and would have only pitched an inning or two on Sunday.

“The hard part right now is trying to figure out if he's not 100% in the overall body, is it worth giving him an inning to build him up,” Roberts asked.

Ohtani has been able to hit through the problems - he's batting .274 with 12 homers in 44 games since his last pitching performance - and the addition of Tarik Skubal has made it easier to win without him in the rotation.

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