LOS ANGELES \u2014 For all the clamor regarding his poor offensive production to start the season, make no mistake about Shohei Ohtani the pitcher.<\/p>\n
If there were any concerns over how he\u2019d fare in his first full season back on the mound in over two years, those have been soundly answered. In his quest to become the first Japanese pitcher to win a Cy Young Award, Ohtani has already firmly re-established himself as one of baseball\u2019s best pitchers. Wednesday night was just the latest example.<\/p>\n
Looking to snap a four-game skid, the Los Angeles Dodgers turned to their unicorn on the mound against the Giants. They did so knowing they again wouldn\u2019t have his bat in the lineup<\/a> \u2014 marking the fourth time in his seven starts that manager Dave Roberts has elected to sit Ohtani as a hitter.<\/p>\n But with the way Ohtani has pitched this season, the Dodgers would hardly need it. Ohtani posted seven scoreless innings, scattering four hits and two walks while striking out eight in Los Angeles\u2019 4-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants. He utilized a heavy mix of his fastball and sweeper, with 89 of his season-high 105 pitches coming via the two. The result was another dominant outing, in which Ohtani lowered his ERA to a MLB-best 0.82.<\/p>\n Shohei Ohtani’s 8th K.<\/p>\n And is fired up. \ud83d\udd25 pic.twitter.com\/ANoQQ3WcCa<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHe wants to be the best pitcher in baseball, and right now, he\u2019s doing it,\u201d Roberts said after the win. \u201cYou can tell he\u2019s hyper-focused on the preparation part of it, and then obviously the days that he starts, the execution.\u201d<\/p>\n In his return to a full season of two-way obligations, the Dodgers figured there would be trial and error with Ohtani\u2019s workload. They expected there would be intermittent fatigue, which is partly why they implemented a six-man rotation at the beginning of the year. It\u2019s also why they haven\u2019t always kept his bat in the starting lineup on days he\u2019s pitching \u2014 a decision that has been made easier for Roberts as of late, given Ohtani\u2019s slump. Load management is a specialty for this organization, especially when it comes to its prized two-way star.<\/p>\n What the Dodgers were not expecting was for Ohtani\u2019s offensive production to fall as low as it has. His solo homer in Tuesday\u2019s loss was just his second in the last month. His OPS on the season is below .800. Ohtani won\u2019t be in the lineup Thursday either, marking the first time he won\u2019t start as a hitter in consecutive games in his Dodgers tenure. There\u2019s an argument to be made that Ohtani\u2019s commitment to returning to the mound has impacted his hitting.<\/p>\n Ohtani sure looks like a Cy Young candidate. But the Dodgers need his bat at the top of the lineup too. Are there concerns that Ohtani\u2019s fixation on pitching is bleeding into his lack of production at the plate? As he ages, is it becoming too taxing for the 31-year-old to do both at the highest level?<\/p>\n \u201cHard to say,\u201d Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. \u201cBut I do feel young. I feel good. At my peak. So it\u2019s hard to say.\u201d<\/p>\n Shohei Ohtani strikes out the side with paint! \ud83c\udfa8 pic.twitter.com\/UDBxUnAygc<\/a><\/p>\n