Dodgers Taking Careful Approach With Shohei Ohtani’s Two-Way Usage
The Dodgers are continuing to treat Shohei Ohtani with great care and keep him upright, which has brought along a balancing act for the team.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are continuing to treat Shohei Ohtani with great care and keep him upright, which has brought along a balancing act for the team. Ohtani is a player who hates taking days off , wanting to make all of his regular pitching starts and hit every day, including his starts. On Wednesday, Ohtani pitched seven scoreless innings, passing the 100 pitch mark, and taking further steps towards a Cy Young award.
However, he did not hit, and the Japanese star won’t hit on Thursday either, getting two full days off from hitting and one full day off from playing overall. May 13, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) delivers in the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A.
Vasquez-Imagn Images The Dodgers are hoping to give him time to reset his swing and hitting abilities after going through a slump to start the month of May. According to manager Dave Roberts, the team is doing its best to help Ohtani as he deals with a full workload. “It’s interesting because last year, there was a lot of conversations that he shouldn’t pitch and just be a hitter,” Roberts said.
“Now, it’s kind of flipped on its head. I can’t imagine what goes through his mind, but I do feel clarity on how we’re managing him. There’s no one way to go about it.