The sprinkling of rain over Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night added a new element to what’s already a familiar sight: Shohei Ohtani walking off the mound and immediately strapping on the various guards and batting gloves he wears to hit.
In the Dodgers’ 4-1 win — as Ohtani held the Guardians to one hit through six scoreless innings in his 2026 pitching debut — it happened twice.
The first inning was guaranteed. But after throwing a scoreless fifth, Ohtani again was due up to lead off the bottom half of the inning.
He appeared to realize just that as he reached the far end of the dugout. Ohtani pivoted and jogged to the opposite entrance, where he handed off his hat and glove to start the well-practiced routine.
Ohtani’s four MVP awards and list of unique records paint a picture of an otherworldly player. But something about the benign process of swapping equipment on the warning track as he goes from one demanding job to another captures the absurdity of Ohtani’s skill set.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that,” Max Muncy said. “It’s pretty special. It’s really hard to put into words when you see it in person, what he’s able to do. Really, my only thought is how good is that guy going to sleep tonight.”
As for the mid-inning scramble, don’t get too attached just yet.
Manager Dave Roberts is pondering whether to take measures to limit opportunities for the sequence, as the Dodgers manage Ohtani’s two-way ability over the course of a full season for the first time.
“It’s hard because I do think that that first at-bat is a tough one,” Roberts said. “Certainly when you’re at home and you go from the mound, to the on-deck circle, to the batter’s box. I’m not saying it’s a throwaway, but it’s hard, it’s a quick transition.”
Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers in the fourth inning Tuesday against the Guardians.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
On the other hand, the batting order also only dictates that first at-bat. And there isn’t an obvious alternative batting order.
“When you sort of talk about that, ‘he doesn’t perform when he’s pitching,’ then he goes out there and hits three homers in a game,” Roberts said. “He’s special.”
Ohtani’s offensive performance Tuesday wasn’t as special as his Game 4 showing in last year’s National League Championship Series between the Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers. But the leadoff hitter walked twice, in the third and fifth innings, and singled through the right side of the infield in the seventh.
“I’ve been able to get on base and that’s a good thing,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “But on pitches that I should be making impact, I’m not quite able to do that to the extent that I should be able to. That’s the part that I’m not quite happy about.”
The Dodgers’ heroes on offense were Andy Pages, who drove in two runs, including the first of the game; Max Muncy, who launched a solo homer in the sixth; and Teoscar Hernández, whose line-drive single started an eighth-inning surge.
Tuesday marked the first time this season the Dodgers scored before their opponent, despite their 4-1 record.
Ohtani’s larger contribution was on the mound.
Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani delivers during the second inning Tuesday against the Guardians at Dodger Stadium.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
“Last year I felt good, but this year I do feel a lot more loose and easy pitching overall,” Ohtani said. “Looking back at today’s outing specifically, that wasn’t necessarily the case. So that’s something I want to work on. But compared to last season I felt more loose and easy.”
There wasn’t much else to nit-pick. Ohtani retired the first seven batters he faced, finally breaking that streak with a pair of walks in the third inning.
He didn’t give up a hit until two outs into the fourth. A soft line drive off the bat of Rhys Hoskins fell inside the right-field line for a double.
Ohtani only let two more Guardians batters reach base. In the fifth inning, he yanked a fastball and hit Angel Martinez in the back knee. Then in the sixth, with that steady light rain seeping into the dirt, Ohtani walked Kyle Manzardo on four pitches.
Roberts then called time and asked for the mound to be fixed. Ohtani scraped off the bottom of his cleats and struck out Hoskins for the final out of a dominant start.
“He’s never going to be satisfied,” Roberts said with a smile. “I think for him, there’s always going to be something that he can improve on or get better at. And that’s what fuels him. But it was a good outing. And honestly, offensively, he’s taking walks, he’s swinging at the right pitches, and those hits will start to come.”
Roberts isn’t jumping to make any lineup changes yet. A self-proclaimed “slow-mover,” he wants to watch how it plays out over a “handful” of starts.
So, during Ohtani’s next pitching appearance at Dodger Stadium, be sure to sit back and also enjoy the sideshow.
