Dodgers notes: Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith, Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Los Angeles, CA - March 31: Starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to the plate against the Cleveland Guardians in the fourth inning of a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images It took two whole seasons for Shohei Ohtani to open the season in the starting rotation, and he showed on Tuesday that he is up for the challenge to post a fully healthy two-way season. Ohtani only went 1-3 with a pair of walks at the plate against the Cleveland Guardians in the Dodgers 4-1 win, but he had the most efficient outing from a starting pitcher on the young season.
Fighting the rain and a muddy mound, Ohtani tossed 87 pitches over six shutout innings while allowing just one hit and three walks and striking out six. After securing his first win as a pitcher since his otherworldly performance in last year’s NLCS Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers, Ohtani spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA about being back on the mound and battling against both Cleveland hitters and Mother Nature herself. “I felt really good going into the game.
The condition— today’s weather— wasn’t great, but it was a good thing to experience this early in the season, so I’m going to charge it to experience. ” Links Now that the 2026 season is almost a week underway, we now have a better understanding as to not only how the ABS system works, but also how the Dodgers plan to navigate and implement it. Will Smith, who has so far made the majority of challenges for the Dodgers, spoke with David Vassegh of AM 570 about the system and about how umpires have been more “locked in” after a full test trial in spring training.
“I think it’s good for the game. I think honestly, the best part about it is I think the umpires are more locked in just from the get-go. There were a lot less overturned calls because they were locked in.
The most important thing is getting the call right, and they’re trying to do their best too. ” Tuesday was Yoshi bobblehead night, and the Dodgers had the perfect opportunity to create their own “Spiderman meme” of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the character Yoshi, and actor Donald Glover, who is set to play Yoshi in the upcoming film “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. ” Yoshi, meet Yoshi, meet Yoshi.