The Los Angeles Dodgers raised some eyebrows on Tuesday. Superstar two-way player Shohei Ohtani had previously been scheduled to start against the Athletics on Wednesday, but manager Dave Roberts decided to push him back to Friday, when the Dodgers take on the San Diego Padres.
Much was made of that decision in the immediate aftermath of that decision. However, the explanation is fairly banal. Being a two-way player takes a lot of energy, and the Dodgers felt he needed some extra rest, as Roberts explained.
“If there’s any opportunity for us to give him some extra rest, try to take advantage of it,” manager Dave Roberts said on SportsNet LA. “Pushing him to Friday allows us to have him still take down two starts before the break and get on two division opponents. So in that vain, there’s just no downside. It just made too much sense.”
In all of this, it likely doesn’t hurt that the Dodgers view the Padres series as more important than the Athletics series. It’s a division rival, who, while 12.0 games behind the Dodgers, is still in second-place in the NL West. It’s also true that Ohtani has pitched one game already against the Padres, going 5.0 scoreless innings.
Despite not pitching, Ohtani is still expected to be in the lineup on Wednesday against the Athletics. That is, unless something else changes.
Shohei Ohtani has had a Phenomenal Season for the Los Angeles Dodgers
GettyLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani
It’s become so common to see Shohei Ohtani be great that it can almost become possible to overlook that greatness. However, he’s once again having an extraordinary season in 2026 for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A four-time Silver Slugger and four-time MVP, he’s bounced back from an ever-so-slightly slow start to the season with his bat. Now, entering July, Ohtani is hitting .296 with a .412 OBP, a .542 slugging percentage, and a .954 OPS. He also has 18 home runs and 50 RBIs.
Remarkably, Ohtani has been even better on the mound. In 13 starts and 79.2 innings pitched, he has a 1.58 ERA and a 0.904 WHIP. It’s a crowded field this season for the NL Cy Young, but Ohtani is absolutely in that field.
Shohei Ohtani May Be Getting Even More Time Off
GettyLos Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani
It can be difficult to undersell how much stress a player like Shohei Ohtani puts on his body to compete at the level he does, both hitting and pitching. It can be exhausting and has led to injuries in the past, particularly as a pitcher, where Ohtani has undergone Tommy John surgery twice.
Because of that, Dave Roberts and the Dodgers may be looking to give him extra time off in the middle of the season. That could even extend to his DH duties, where Roberts admitted time off will be a conversation.
“Is there a day off from DHing coming? Potentially,” Roberts said. “But I’ll have that conversation with Shohei. Just everything, overall body, workload, managing him as a two-way player.”
Earlier this season, the Dodgers did not hit Ohtani on days when he pitched. Eventually, they went back to playing him two-way on start days. However, it’s pretty clear that Los Angeles wants to find ways to keep Ohtani healthy and playing at a high level all season long.
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