Shohei Ohtani could have made his regularly scheduled start for the Los Angeles Dodgers for Friday's series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

But the four-time Most Valuable Player decided against it. 

Ahead of Friday's matchup, the Dodgers announced that Ohtani would be scratched from his start against the Diamondbacks and would not participate in this year's All-Star Game due to continued irritation in his left knee. 

Though he will not pitch until the second half of the season, Ohtani remained the Dodgers' designated hitter for the final three games of the first half. 

"If I had pushed it, I probably could have pitched today. But the goal is to use these extra days to be in a better place for my next start," Ohtani told the media following the Dodgers' 9-3 loss at Dodger Stadium via SportsNetLA. 

Ohtani's irritation in his left knee began in June during the Dodgers' three-game set against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Following his start on June 10, Ohtani was removed in the seventh inning and pinch-hit for in the following game with "left knee inflammation," according to the Dodgers. 

At the time, it was no cause of concern for manager Dave Roberts and the Dodgers, but for the last month, Ohtani's knee pain has not subsided.

Ohtani revealed that he feels the irritation more in his knee when pitching than when hitting. He also assumed it was the main cause of the mechanical changes he experienced over his last couple of outings. 

"Pitching puts much more stress on it than hitting. At the plate, I’ve basically been able to do everything without any problems," Ohtani said. 

“It probably changes the way I land, and when you compensate for one thing, other parts of your body take on more stress.”

So, what's the next move from here? 

In their initial announcement, the Dodgers said that they would undergo "interventions" on Ohtani's Knee. 

The plan is to drain Ohtani's left knee, and he'll likely then receive an injection, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. 

With all that in mind, Ohtani and Roberts both believe he'll be readily available to pitch after the All-Star Break. 

“We have six pitchers, so I’m not sure which day we’re going to slot him in, but he will be ready in the second half,” Roberts told the media via SportsNetLA. 

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