Shohei Ohtani showed off his base stealing prowess last season with 59 successful attempts, en route to making history as the first ever 50-50 player in MLB history.
It was a new career high by a wide margin, dwarfing Ohtani’s previous total of 26 stolen bases in 2021. This season has been a much different story, however, as Ohtani has just 17 stolen bases. It is much more in line with Ohtani’s previous output as a two-way player with the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani has been more active on the basepaths of late, with five attempts in nearly two weeks. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts attributes the uptick to re-adjusting to the demands of being a two-way player and trying to help a struggling offense.
“I think it’s a combo of feeling comfortable with where he’s at physically and knowing what he can withstand,” Roberts said. “I also think he’s trying to be proactive and create scoring opportunities for our ballclub.
“A stolen base at second base to get into scoring position and create some type of action, I think there’s something behind that.”
The Dodgers’ struggles since July 4 resulted in their National League West lead completely disappearing. The Dodgers have struggled in multiple areas over that stretch, but a less dynamic and consistent offense has been a significant contributor.
To Ohtani’s credit, his aggressiveness on the bases paid off, as he came around to score after advancing himself on two separate occasions.
In the case of the game on Aug. 3 against the Tampa Bay Rays, Ohtani manufactured a much needed insurance run late in the game with back-to-back successful stolen bases to help the Dodgers secure a 3-0 victory.
However, it did come back to bite him most recently when he tried to replicate it in the series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays. Ohtani committed the cardinal sin of making the final out at third base, getting caught stealing to end the inning with Freddie Freeman at the plate.
Other than making smarter decisions on when to steal, Roberts has no qualms about Ohtani continuing to steal with more frequency and isn’t worried about it affecting his hitting.
“I think he’s done a good job,” Roberts said. “Yeah, he’s pushed it a little more recently. He’s still got to play baseball.
“That’s why I talked about that play the other day at third base, if it makes sense to win a ballgame and it’s the right play, you’ve still got to play the game. I think he’s as prepared as anyone I’ve ever been around. I think he’s got a good handle on the balance and what he can and can’t handle.”
Shohei Ohtani not pitching more than five innings
Ohtani’s workload as a pitcher has steadily increased over the past couple of weeks. He reached the four-inning mark for the first time on Aug. 5 and pitched into the fifth against the Angels.
While there has been a clear progression, the Dodgers don’t plan to stretch him out much beyond that.
The team believes that five innings should be sufficient in helping them get through a game and asking any more of Ohtani would not be worth the risk to his health.
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