Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani to miss all-star game, next mound start because of left knee irritation

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will miss next week’s all-star game in Philadelphia because of continued irritation in his left knee.

The Dodgers added Ohtani would not make his scheduled start on the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night, but would continue his role as the team’s designated hitter throughout the weekend.

Ohtani has been dealing with discomfort in his left knee for at least a month. The right-hander had an outing cut short against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 11 because of inflammation in the knee.

The Dodgers said after their series against the D-backs ends on Sunday, Ohtani will have some “interventions” done on the knee to get ready for the second half of the season, which will cause him to miss the all-star Game.

The four-time most valuable player has once again been one of the best players in the big leagues this season and stands alone as the game’s premier two-way player.

Ohtani is batting .290 with 20 homers and 56 runs batted in and is 8-2 on the mound with a 1.79 earned-run average and 95 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings.

Ohtani’s absence will be a blow for baseball’s midsummer showcase at Citizens Bank Park. The Japanese star, who turned 32 years old earlier this week, is among the game’s most popular players and led MLB in jersey sales last year.

He hit his 300th career homer on Tuesday night, a leadoff shot against Colorado Rockies pitcher Michael Lorenzen that made him the first Japanese-born player in the majors to reach the milestone.

The Dodgers are the two-time defending World Series champions and have baseball’s best record at 61-33 entering Friday.