Dave Roberts Explains Why Shohei Ohtani Didn’t Hit During Pitching Start
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts elaborated on the decision to have Shohei Ohtani only pitch against the New York Mets on Wednesday. Roberts ahead of the series finale against the Mets, spoke with reporters about the team’s choice to have Ohtani not hit. Shohei Ohtani is out of today's lineup against the New York Mets, but he will be pitching a regular starter's workload.
Kyle Tucker will be hitting leadoff, and Dalton Rushing will be lining up in the designated hitter spot. The Dodgers are being careful with their ace. — Nelson Espinal (@nelson__espinal) April 15, 2026 The manager directly cited as Ohtani’s hit by a pitch that he suffered on Monday at the hands of lefty David Peterson.
The hit on his shoulder extended his on-base streak to 47 straight games of successfully reaching at the time, which was raised to 48 straight on Tuesday , but it did leave him in a good deal of pain. Apr 4, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) talks with the media before the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images Roberts made sure to clarify that the norm for Ohtani going forward will be to hit on days that he makes a pitching start, but the team are taking a difference approach amid the shoulder injury.
The Dodgers are seemingly taking a careful approach with the Japanese sensation this early, but they are clearly letting him still push himself to a certain extent as a pitcher. “This one game, it just makes the most sense to give us the best chance to manage the shoulder and back,” Roberts said. Additionally, the manager wanted to allow Ohtani to stay loose in between his mound appearances as a pitcher rather than adding the stress of hitting as well, which is a different motion.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dodgers Nation (@dodgersnation) The last time Ohtani pitched without hitting Per Jack Harris of The California Post , Wednesday’s absence from the lineup is the first time he has pitched and not hit in a very long time. “First time since May 28, 2021, that Ohtani has not hit during a pitching start (and that was before MLB instituted its new two-way rule that allows him to stay in games as a hitter after his pitching start is done),” Harris notes in a post on X. The Dodgers seemingly don’t want to make this a regular thing for the Japanese star, but there is clearly some concern about the pain and wear on his body.