Dodgers vs White Sox opened with an emphatic White Sox victory, an 8-2 final at Rate Field on June 12, 2026, with Los Angeles missing Shohei Ohtani because of left knee inflammation.
The White Sox erupted for seven runs in a five-run fifth inning that sent Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki from the game, and fans in the left-field upper deck chanted “We want Shohei” during the late innings.
Anthony Kay started for Chicago and worked five strong innings, striking out seven and allowing two runs, and he later combined with Bryan Hudson, Trevor Richards and Chris Murphy to retire the final 19 Dodgers hitters, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
Santiago Espinal provided the Dodgers’ early offense with a two-run single in the second, and the Dodgers later loaded the bases with the heart of the order due up before Kay buckled down and escaped the jam, Dodgers hitters largely stifled after the big fifth.
Injury Update And Reaction
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the club held Ohtani out Friday to give him recovery time, and he described himself as “optimistic” about a return the next day, adding that the team would get him through a workout and go from there.
Roberts said the issue was left knee inflammation, not a hamstring as he first suspected, and the Dodgers sent Ohtani for a scan that showed no structural damage, meaning the team does not view the matter as an injured list situation.
The team provided small details about Ohtani’s travel and treatment, noting he arrived in Chicago later than most teammates, wore a clean outfit and carried a suitcase, and that staff treated the knee after it swelled from normal wear and tear.
The White Sox also offered injury notes of their own, reporting Munetaka Murakami has run the last two days but remains on a typical four to six week hamstring timeline, Kyle Teel has increased baseball activities and Noah Schultz is scheduled to throw a bullpen Saturday before a possible rehab assignment, according to manager and players cited by the Tribune.
