Shohei Ohtani returned to the mound this year after a record-setting 2024 season as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ full-time designated hitter.
Ohtani made his Dodgers pitching debut on June 16 and threw one inning against the San Diego Padres. He was methodically built up throughout the year and reached the team’s targeted goal of six innings by the end of the regular season.
Ohtani routinely got six days of rest in between starts to help manage his workload as a two-way player. L.A. also utilized a six-man rotation at times to provide extra rest to their other starters.
Manager Dave Roberts isn’t quite ready to commit to a six-man rotation for the 2026 season but confirmed Ohtani will continue getting extra rest to keep him fresh.
“I think the thought is to have Shohei used as a regular starter, but it’s not going to be a regular, five-man rotation,” Roberts said.
“I don’t want to go down the six-man rotation road, but I do feel that giving him six, seven, eight days off, to kind of allow him to continue to stay rested and build up, I think that’s something that’s in our process. We have a long way to go, but we’ve got some viable candidates, certainly.”
As it currently stands, the 2026 Dodgers rotation is set to include the likes of Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki.
That would suggest the team is planning to use a six-man rotation again, barring any potential trades or injuries.
Extra rest should be all the more important for Ohtani as he struggled at the plate in games he pitched and the following day.
What the Dodgers also will need to navigate, however, is schedules for Yamamoto and Sasaki, given they are accustomed to receiving at least five days of rest between outings.
Shohei Ohtani’s stats as Dodgers pitcher
Ohtani posted a 1-1 record with a 2.87 ERA, 1.90 FIP, 1.04 WHIP and 11.9 strikeouts per nine in 47 innings across 14 starts during the regular season this year.
He went on to go 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 12.4 strikeouts per nine in 20.1 innings across four starts in the playoffs.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
