{"id":313796,"date":"2026-05-13T15:34:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T15:34:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/313796\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T15:34:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T15:34:17","slug":"dodgers-hope-resting-shohei-ohtanis-bat-will-aid-in-snapping-his-slump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/313796\/","title":{"rendered":"Dodgers hope resting Shohei Ohtani\u2019s bat will aid in snapping his slump"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOS ANGELES \u2014 Mired in one of his worst offensive stretches in recent memory, Shohei Ohtani will not be in the Los Angeles Dodgers\u2019 batting order when he pitches on Wednesday. Then, the two-time reigning NL MVP will also be out of Thursday\u2019s lineup, as manager Dave Roberts announced his desire to give his slumping slugger a breather.<\/p>\n

It will mark the first time Ohtani will not start as a hitter in consecutive games in his Dodgers tenure.<\/p>\n

That Ohtani homered and reached base safely three times in the Dodgers\u2019 6-2 loss to the Giants did not change Roberts\u2019 mind. While the manager described Tuesday\u2019s performance as a \u201cturning point\u201d for Ohtani, he also believes giving his leadoff hitter a mental breather is what\u2019s best for him at this point of the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought tonight was a really good night,\u201d Roberts said of Ohtani. \u201cNow to go out there, focus on pitching tomorrow, get that recovery on Thursday, I think that he can hopefully take that momentum from tonight and then be building on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

A sweet swing from Shohei Ohtani \ud83d\ude4c pic.twitter.com\/8rh7fWpD8A<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 MLB (@MLB) May 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Roberts first disclosed his plans for Ohtani ahead of Tuesday\u2019s game. He left the door cracked for Ohtani to potentially hit on Wednesday, but elected shortly before first pitch to commit to sitting him for two games. Roberts told Ohtani he would not hit Wednesday or Thursday, and did not want to reverse course \u2014 even after Ohtani slugged his first home run since April 26.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were both good with it,\u201d Roberts said postgame. \u201cI don\u2019t like the bait and switch. I think that might\u2019ve been something where, you know you get a couple days off of hitting and it might have freed him up. You just never know. To go back on a pact, a decision that we came upon or I came upon, I don\u2019t like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ohtani\u2019s offensive production has faltered significantly as he adjusts to a full season of two-way duties for the first time since 2023. Since April 13, Ohtani is hitting .200\/.321\/.300 and has just one home run in his past 26 games. After an 0-for-5 night in Monday\u2019s 9-3 loss to San Francisco, his OPS fell to .767 \u2014 a far cry from his career mark of .950. Despite Roberts\u2019 effort to provide an adequate amount of rest days over the first six weeks of the season, the manager sensed some fatigue from Ohtani.<\/p>\n

Coming into play Tuesday, Ohtani had recorded 10 strikeouts in his past 10 games. He was not available to reporters after Tuesday\u2019s loss, but is expected to speak to the media after his pitching start on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Ohtani singled and came around to score in the first inning against Giants starter Adrian Houser. When he tagged the right-hander for a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the third, the relief was palpable. Ohtani lifted his head to the sky while rounding the bases in exasperation, then joked with teammates in the dugout that he should ask for the baseball.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/t.co\/mBu6snNBK5<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/4i4vXQH1L8<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rowan Kavner (@RowanKavner) May 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

It was a rare bright spot in what has been a dismal stretch of Dodgers baseball. Los Angeles has lost four straight games and 14 of their last 23. They\u2019ve scored two runs or fewer in eight of their last 13 games. Their last four losses have been by four runs or more; the last time that happened was July 1-4, 1936.<\/p>\n

That could (in theory) up the incentive to keep Ohtani\u2019s bat in the starting lineup, but Roberts believes Ohtani will still benefit from some time off. Roberts noted that, depending on the game situation, Ohtani could be available off the bench on Thursday. The hope, however, is that he can take at least one full day away from the plate.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the quality of at-bats starts to go down consistently, that\u2019s a telling sign that there needs to be a break,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cYou\u2019re just not able, whether it\u2019s mechanics or mind, to stay within your plan. Then the chase starts to spike. \u2026 I just can\u2019t take for granted what\u2019s on his plate. So I\u2019m trying to be sensitive to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his return as a full-time starting pitcher, Ohtani has dazzled on the mound. Through six starts, he has a minuscule 0.97 ERA over 37 innings with a 10.2 strikeout-per-nine-innings rate, and looks to be an early National League Cy Young award contender. Still, he\u2019s fallen short of his expectations offensively, which has been compounded with the rest of the Dodgers\u2019 lack of production.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s missing pitches he\u2019s used to hitting,\u201d hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc said Monday. \u201cThat\u2019s the easiest way to put it. There are a lot of pitches that he normally cashes in that he\u2019s missing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably more mechanical,\u201d Van Scoyoc added. \u201cThe swing is not where it\u2019s at normally. He\u2019s used to cashing in on mistake pitches, and he\u2019s missing them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Dodgers do not believe Ohtani is dealing with any physical ailments. They\u2019re chalking up his lackluster production to faulty mechanics, likely triggered by the demands of Ohtani\u2019s pitching workload.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fatigue is bleeding into the mechanics,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cMost players get that towards the end of the summer. Now I\u2019m learning, managing Shohei, it\u2019s probably showing itself a little earlier as far as the tax on pitching and all that comes with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Incorporating rest and reset days for Ohtani will continue throughout the season.<\/p>\n

The Dodgers were prepared to be flexible in that regard. While he\u2019s dominated on the mound, the Dodgers also need Ohtani to be a catalyst atop the lineup. The hope is that two days of a reset will get him going again \u2014 and the rest of the team will follow.<\/p>\n

\u201c(The offense) is not his sole responsibility,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cBut when your best player is doing what he\u2019s capable of doing, it just adds that energy into the dugout, frees guys up a little bit to do something too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we all came in knowing that we had to read and react,\u201d he added. \u201cIt was going to be fluid. It should be. It\u2019s very unique. I think we\u2019re still in early May, so \u2026 we have an opportunity to do things that way we feel are best for him.\u201d<\/p>\n