Shohei Ohtani will be out of the starting lineup for the Dodgers’ series finale against the Giants at Dodger Stadium. This marks the first time in Ohtani’s Dodgers career that he has been on the active roster but not in the starting lineup for back-to-back games. He will be getting a rare two-game breather as a hitter amid a season-opening slump.
Roberts Explains Ohtani’s Rest
Manager Dave Roberts felt that Ohtani not hitting when he started on the mound was not a sufficient opportunity to reset because of the mental and physical toll of pitching. Roberts would like to see Ohtani show up late to the ballpark and take his time with his usual gameday routine. He should then prepare to potentially pinch-hit as the game progresses.
Roberts said that when the quality of at-bats goes down consistently, it signals the need for a break. He said that a hitter in a slump is not able to stay within their game plan, and then the chase starts to spike.
Ohtani’s Recent Performance
Ohtani has been slashing .240/.370/.427 with seven homers through 39 games. Roberts based the decision to sit Ohtani more on what he was seeing rather than the numbers alone.
Ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Giants, Roberts finalised the plan to rest Ohtani. In that game, Ohtani went 2-for-4 with his first home run since April 26, and only his second in his past 113 plate appearances. Although that was the best Ohtani had looked at the plate in several days, the strong performance did not change the Dodgers’ decision.
Roberts doesn’t think sitting for two days will negatively affect Ohtani. He believes Ohtani is very in-tune with his body and his mechanics. The goal is to let his body reset.
Ohtani’s Reaction
Ohtani said he is good with the team’s decision. He wants to continue the momentum from his last at-bat as a hitter whenever he gets to hit again. Ohtani plans to work on his body to ensure he can perform well during a game.
Workload Considerations
This season marks the first time that Ohtani has been a full-time two-way player from the start since 2023. His workload has been much different than the past two seasons, as he didn’t complete his rehab from a second major surgery on his right elbow until June of last year.
Ohtani will be out of the starting lineup for Thursday’s series finale against the Giants at Dodger Stadium.