Shohei Ohtani missed Friday's game against the White Sox due to left knee soreness, and the team confirmed he does not need to be placed on the injured list.

Following his early exit from Wednesday's matchup with the Pirates due to left knee inflammation, the two-way superstar was absent from the Dodgers' lineup for Thursday's series opener against the White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago. Ohtani's knee imaging showed no structural damage. Just as his removal from Wednesday's game was precautionary, the Dodgers' decision to hold him out of Thursday's starting lineup was similarly proactive. The team hopes he can return to action at some point this weekend.

"I hope he can play tomorrow. If not, he might need another day of rest," manager Dave Roberts said Thursday. "But I think this is manageable. It doesn't require a stint on the injured list. When I saw him today, he felt okay. Still, giving him an extra day off is the smart move."

The Dodgers also hope this issue won't affect Ohtani's next scheduled start. He is expected to take the mound at Dodger Stadium next Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Ohtani leads the National League with a .964 OPS and tops MLB with a 1.06 ERA among pitchers with at least 50 innings. Losing him on either side—hitting or pitching—would be a major blow to the Dodgers. But the team believes taking proactive precautionary measures will allow him to return once he's sufficiently recovered.

Ohtani has dealt with left knee issues multiple times in his career, most notably undergoing surgery in September 2019 to repair a split patella. This time, the discomfort is more concentrated behind the knee.

"He said there's some soreness in the back, and the swelling is also in that area. But most knee swelling tends to pool there," Roberts said. "That said, his range of motion today was good. So if this were another part of the season, he'd already be playing."

With Ohtani unavailable, left fielder Alex Call took over as the leadoff hitter. Santiago Espinal filled the designated hitter spot, as the Dodgers stacked right-handed batters against White Sox left-hander Anthony Kay.