The Dodgers are taking a cautious approach with Shohei Ohtani’s workload, and Wednesday night’s results might’ve given them a blueprint for the rest of the season.
Ohtani started on the mound against the Mets but didn’t hit after getting plunked earlier in the week. The decision paid off in a big way – he struck out 10 batters and dominated New York in the Dodgers’ 8-2 victory.
“Ohtani is the starting pitcher for the Dodgers’ series finale against the Mets on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, but he will not hit. Kyle Tucker moved up to the leadoff spot in his place, and Dalton Rushing got a start at designated hitter,”
What made this performance stand out was how sharp Ohtani looked with the extra focus. He recorded 22 swing and misses – a career high with the Dodgers – and struck out the side in the sixth inning on just 14 pitches. The right-hander allowed one run and two hits across six innings.
It was the first time since May 28, 2021, with the Angels that Ohtani hadn’t been in the batting lineup during one of his starts. That’s a pretty telling gap.
The performance has some people thinking the Dodgers should stick with this approach. MLB Now’s Dan O’Dowd didn’t mince words about it.
“I would encourage him to not hit at all when he starts (pitching) the rest of the year.”
There’s logic to it. Ohtani looked incredibly sharp with the added rest and ability to focus solely on his mound work. The results speak for themselves – this was vintage Ohtani on the hill.
Now, one start doesn’t make a trend, and we’re talking about a guy who’s built his career on being a two-way player. But from a workload management perspective, giving Ohtani a break every fifth day could pay dividends over a full season.
The Dodgers aren’t gonna make any hasty decisions here. They know what they have in Ohtani, and their priority is keeping him healthy and effective through October. But if Wednesday night was any indication, this might be something their considering more seriously going forward.
Small sample size or not, it’s hard to argue with those results. Sometimes the best move is the one that keeps your superstar fresh when it matters most.
