Shohei Ohtani did not enjoy a productive second half of August, as he fell into a slump that coincided with resuming bullpen sessions. Wear and tear could potentially be a factor in Ohtani’s performance, and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts would be willing to intervene if he deems it necessary.
Ohtani hit .207/.333/.429 with one double, three home runs and 19 strikeouts to just seven walks over his last 15 games to close out his worst offensive month of the season.
Tuesday’s performance against the St. Louis Cardinals was a good first step toward getting back on track offensively. But that was followed by going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts on Wednesday.
“I think that Shohei is no different than any other player, where controlling the strike zone, taking walks when given, is important. And I think [Tuesday], for him to take a couple walks was important,” Roberts said. “I know he wants to swing the bat, but it was good for him to control his strike zone last night.”
Ohtani’s physical condition remains the central question. The Japanese superstar is battling left knee soreness and right biceps discomfort while continuing his rehab to return to the mound. All of that comes on top of his everyday duties as a designated hitter.
It is clear Ohtani is not at 100%, but Roberts and the training staff believe he is currently healthy enough to continue playing.
“Physically, I think he’s in a good spot. I don’t know, and to be quite honest, I haven’t heard otherwise, as far as him ailing, whether it’s the the arm, the knee. I haven’t dug into the bat speed, but I’m a big pitch selection guy,” Roberts explained.
“I know that there’s times that people talk about him wincing around third base, but for me, everything that he’s told me and the training staff, he feels good.”
Roberts has acknowledged he believes shutting down Ohtani from pitching could help his offense but conceded that his view is largely conjecture at this point. The Dodgers’ skipper added he will continue to take Ohtani at his word as long as it matches what he sees on the field.
“I think that certainly I know the value of him pitching, but if you’re not 100%, there’s possibly some bleed into the performance offensively,” Roberts began. “That’s just me kind of theorizing. But yeah, it’s his decision, honestly. If he feels like he’s capable, then we’ll run the play out until it doesn’t make any sense.”
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has previously taken the stance that the organization will not prioritize one aspect of Ohtani’s game over the other, noting that his pitching and hitting are equally impactful to the club’s success.
Is Shohei Ohtani going on the injured list?
Although Roberts has largely projected optimism and confidence in Ohtani, he struck a different tone following the Dodgers’ second consecutive loss to the Cardinals.
Roberts didn’t believe the superstar slugger took his usual swings and admitted he would likely benefit from some rest. Roberts stated a stint on the injured list is possible, but he wasn’t sure if that would be the course of action or simply giving Ohtani a game off.
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