At this point in Shohei Ohtani’s career there do not seem to be many individual accomplishments and records left to earn, but there always seems to be another rarity waiting for him to break.
The 31-year-old had an excellent month of June at the plate for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but demonstrated he is still human on the mound. The fact that a 3.28 ERA in 24.2 innings could be considered a struggle is a testament to Ohtani’s performance this season, but he still walked away with three wins.
The result was a new record reflective of the two-way star’s talents as he became the first player in MLB history to hit eight home runs and go 3-0 or better as a pitcher in a single calendar month, according to OptaSTATS.
The @Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani is the first player in MLB history to hit 8+ HR & have a 3-0 (or better) pitching record in a single month. pic.twitter.com/DPyIC8jRnW
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) July 1, 2026
After a sluggish start to the season and an occasional slump, Ohtani wrapped up his most productive month of 2026 thus far in June. He batted .333/.435/.656 with 12 extra-base hits and 19 RBI. Ohtani currently ranks in the top five for wRC+ this season at 155.
Ohtani’s eight home runs were his highest monthly total this season, though he has struggled to match the pace he set in 2024 and 2025. By comparison, the eight homers would have been only his fourth-highest monthly total last season. He hit as many as 15 home runs in a single month in 2025.
As for Ohtani’s three wins in June, his starts on June 17 and June 24 were the first two victories this season in which he allowed more than one earned run.
With his recent All-Star Game selection, the sixth of his career, he could potentially make an appearance on the mound in addition to designated hitter duty.
Shohei Ohtani’s next pitching start
Ohtani was lined up to start Wednesday in the final game of the series against the Athletics, but he’s now not pitching until Friday.
The Dodgers deployed a bullpen game in the series finale against the Athletics. They will start Roki Sasaki against the San Diego Padres in the opener of their homestand to give Ohtani eight days between pitching starts.
There are multiple factors behind the Dodgers’ decision to push back Ohtani’s next pitching start, ranging from his overall health to the team’s current schedule and factoring in opponents.
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