Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Dominates in 2026 Pitching Debut
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani took the mound for the first time in the 2026 season Tuesday night, recording six innings of shutout ball against the Cleveland Guardians. Ohtani didn’t give up his first — and only — hit until the fourth inning, a two-out double by first baseman Rhys Hoskins. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dodgers Nation (@dodgersnation) Hoskins, however, was left stranded at second after catcher Bo Naylor popped out in the next at-bat.
Outside of that hit, Ohtani struck out six batters and walked three, though he also hit a batter with a pitch. Of his 87 pitches, 54 were strikes, and of the 23 batters he faced, he recorded strikes on the first pitch to 14 of them. But most importantly, he left the mound as the Dodgers held a 1-0 lead that was augmented by Max Muncy’s solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning, bringing the Boys in Blue’s advantage to 2-0.
Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) throws to the plate during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images How Did Shohei Ohtani Handle Pitching and Hitting?
Ohtani was dealing on the mound, but he also performed admirably at the plate. While pitching, he was 0-for-1, though he was walked twice. Once he finished pitching, though, he hit a single in the seventh inning.
Ohtani and other Dodgers stars have been off to a slow start at the plate in 2026, but the Japanese superstar had a better excuse than most. He had to quickly change gear when he was due up at the plate. At one point, Ohtani appeared to briefly forget he was due to hit, heading to the bench before realizing he had to don his gear and and prepare to hit.