The Los Angeles Dodgers slugged their way to a 15-6 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night, but it came at a significant cost as Kiké Hernández suffered a left oblique strain and Shohei Ohtani also was removed early.
Ohtani was hit by a pitch in his right wrist/hand area during the fourth inning but initially remained in the game. Ironically, it came right after Hernández suffered his oblique strain while hitting a double.
A replay of Ohtani getting hit showed the 85.2 mph changeup from Kyle Freeland made contact with a lot of the protective padding on his right hand. Ohtani didn’t show any signs of trouble while running the bases but was pinch-hit for by Dalton Rushing in the fifth inning.
Shohei Ohtani’s outlook for pitching start
Last week the Dodgers made a slight adjustment with their starting rotation to push Ohtani back to facing the San Diego Padres in the series finale at Petco Park. That game was leading into an off day in the Dodgers’ schedule, and the belief was that left Ohtani in the best position to carry out his two-way role.
The domino effect has Ohtani lined up to again pitch the night before a Dodgers off day. Manager Dave Roberts reiterated on Tuesday that the plan was likely for Ohtani to again be in the lineup for his pitching start.
“Unless something changes tonight,” Roberts said before the game.
Ohtani getting hit by a pitch certainly fits that qualifier, and now it’s not a certainty Ohtani will be in the lineup on Wednesday.
“I think it got him on the pad, but clipped his pinkie a little bit,” Roberts said. “But I think we’re in a good spot. We had a good lead, get Dalton a couple at-bats and get Shohei off his feet to get ready for tomorrow’s start. He is going to start tomorrow, I just haven’t decided if he’s going to hit.
“I just want to make sure how he comes in, physically, how he feels. I want to make sure he feels really good on the pitching side of things.”
That possible change aside, the Dodgers otherwise have avoided a much more significant situation. Such was the case with Max Muncy as well when he was hit by a pitch in the right wrist.
But with Ohtani, he nevertheless is looking at the potential of the fifth time in nine pitching starts this season that he is not in the lineup.
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