The Los Angeles Dodgers made the decision to have Shohei Ohtani only pitch on Tuesday night against the Miami Marlins, the second time they have done so this season.
Ohtani is the most impactful player in the sport because of his ability to both hit and pitch in the same game, which made Tuesday’s decision counterintuitive. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recognizes this isn’t the best use of the two-way superstar’s skillset, but said the organization is acting in the best interest of Ohtani.
“I think that the main thing is what’s best for him,” Roberts said. “And I think that’s something that’s more of the health part, and appreciating there’s a long way to go. He’s taking on a lot.
“He’s starting at six innings pitching, and so that’s the main thing. Obviously, having him do both duties, in theory, practice, it’s great. But how sustainable is it without kind of taking a little bit off his plate, that’s the question. And it’s not an exact science.”
The Dodgers know they aren’t maximizing Ohtani’s value when making this decision, but they believe keeping him fresh throughout the season is worth it. Roberts also believes letting Ohtani focus only on pitching is a benefit for that particular outing.
The decision to let him Ohtani during a start is made on a case-by-case basis, but the team eventually wants to avoid sitting him.
“But then you’ve got to ask the question, what’s better for him? What’s better for the team? Layering on the rest and how he’s feeling, those are the questions that you have to ask,” Roberts said.
“But yeah, clearly, if he’s not hitting while pitching, and then not pitching and hitting the next day. That’s the easiest. But is that optimizing him? Is that what he would want to do going forward? Probably not.”
Roberts said Ohtani was fine with the decision because there is an organizational understanding among the players that management makes decisions for their benefit.
Embracing the Dodgers’ decision to sit him shows how serious Ohtani is about meeting the heightened goals he set for himself as a pitcher this season. Roberts said there is some merit to this theory, but also believes it has to do with his maturity.
“But I think he’s just smart enough to know that last year is different than this year, given number one, he’s two years removed (from elbow surgery), which is a good thing,” Roberts added. “But the other part of it is that the workload started off a lot higher, and then what’s sustainable.
“So I think that his goal is to make every start. And so with that, there has to be some compromise and some openness to read and react. And so far, I think we’re doing a nice job, and he’s open to that.”
Following his start on Tuesday, Ohtani noted he understands “the importance of getting to the end of the season with everybody healthy.”
Shohei Ohtani wants to be involved in pitching plan
Roberts is confident the two sides could work through any conflict should Ohtani ever be upset about his role. It all goes back to the organizational culture the Dodgers have created.
“I think he would do it in a respectful way, as far as, I think he felt like he could take it on,” Roberts said when asked if Ohtani would communicate displeasure.
“I’d like to think he would tell me if he didn’t agree with it, and then there’s a deeper conversation. But I think that he’s just very respectful of the decision that a manager or an organization makes.”
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