What happened: Alden Gonzalez reports the Dodgers are skipping Shohei Ohtani's scheduled start on the mound. Gonzalez quotes the club's reasoning as wanting to "nip this" early rather than let a potential issue compound, with a source saying the team chose not to "add to it."
Why it matters: The decision puts Ohtani's pursuit of a Cy Young award behind the Dodgers' preference for caution, a shift for a team that has otherwise leaned on the same Ohtani who has allowed just one earned run in 24 innings this season. Managing his workload mid-season carries weight for a Dodgers club built around him as a two-way piece down the stretch.
By the numbers: The Dodgers are 61-33 this season, scoring 5.3 runs per game and allowing 3.6, the best run differential in the sample provided.
What to watch: The Diamondbacks visit the Dodgers next, with Los Angeles the favorite in a game listed as scheduled.