Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- One of baseball's biggest names will be absent from this year's All-Star Game despite leading fan voting.
- The player’s team cited lingering inflammation from a recurring injury as the reason for resting him during the midseason break.
- His absence creates an opportunity for a local star to take center stage while another player steps into his roster spot.
The MLB All-Star Game promises to bring the brightest stars in baseball onto one field, for one night only, in the middle of summer. But unfortunately, as this year's edition gets underway at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the biggest name in the sport won't be taking part: Late last week, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced that Shohei Ohtani — the leading vote-getter not just in the NL but among all players — won't be taking part in the Midsummer Classic.
It's the first time that Ohtani will miss the All-Star Game since way back in 2019, which was also the last season in which he didn't pitch at all as he recovered from Tommy John surgery the year prior. Ohtani remains as singular a player as ever; he was a serious NL Cy Young contender for much of the first half of 2026 while owning the fifth-highest wRC+ in the Majors, a truly ridiculous and unprecedented combination. But as we've started to see this season, that combination comes at a cost — even for someone like Ohtani.
Why Shohei Ohtani isn't playing in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game
The news that Ohtani would miss the All-Star Game came with an announcement that he would be scratched from last Friday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks due to irritation in his left knee. It's an issue that first popped up for the two-time reigning NL MVP back in mid-June, when he was forced to leave a game due to what the Dodgers officially called "inflammation". Dave Roberts said the team wasn't overly concerned about it as a long-term issue, and he was back in the lineup in a matter of days without missing a single start on the mound.
But apparently it's bothersome enough that L.A. wants to keep its best player on ice whenever possible. It's also worth noting that, while the knee was cited as the specific injury keeping him out of the Midsummer Classic, it's far from the only health issue he's faced this season. He also was pulled midgame earlier this month due to discomfort in his bicep, and while the injury wasn't related to his pitching at all — he claimed to only feel it while swinging a bat — that's still not what you want to hear from your ace. Oh, and he's also been pitching through a persistent blister on and off for weeks now.
Add it all up, and you can hardly blame Ohtani (who, it should be noted, has been more than willing to take part in MLB's jewel events since coming to the States) for wanting a few days off. You also can't blame the Dodgers for wanting to take every precaution possible here as they go for a third straight World Series title. Ohtani is already in unprecedented territory, and as his body begins to show the strain of it, expect him to be more and more careful about when he unleashes the full breadth of his talent.
The Dodgers are saving Shohei Ohtani for the MLB postseason
The Dodgers were focused exclusively on October from the moment this season began; that's how it goes when you've won two World Series in a row. That's even more true now that the NL West has been essentially decided already, as L.A. takes a whopping 11.5-game lead into the All-Star break. A division title and a first-round bye are essentially secure, and the only thing that can trip up this Death Star is an ill-timed injury to someone as important as Ohtani.
As such, they're going to be erring on the side of caution in every possible instance between now and the postseason. Ohtani is capable of things we could hardly dream of just a few years ago, but he also just turned 32, and the downside to such a singular talent is that we don't really understand very much about what his body can take and how hard he can and can't push himself. It's hard to recuperate from the bumps and bruises of a long regular season when you've got to pitch every fifth day, or when you can't go through your normal arm recovery because you've got to lead off and play DH that night.
There's no way to know for sure whether Ohtani's laundry list of ailments this season are related to the unique strain he puts on his body. But it's certainly an easy connection to make, and considering everything the Dodgers have at stake this fall — and how little they have at stake this summer — expect him to be kept in bubble wrap moving forward.
Who is Shohei Ohtani's replacement in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game?
The silver lining here is that Ohtani's absence does open the door for a hometown favorite to start the All-Star Game. Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber has taken Ohtani's place in the lineup at DH on Tuesday night, where he'll lead off.
As for Ohtani's place on the roster, it's been filled by St. Louis Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera, who will join teammates Jordan Walker and Riley O'Brien in Philadelphia.
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