Ohtani's 0.97 ERA Is Historic, But the Dodgers Just Made a Call That Says Everything About His Bat Right Now

Shohei Ohtani finally broke through at the plate on Tuesday night. After going just 2-for-113 since late April, he led off with a single and then took Giants starter Adrian Houser deep for a solo shot in the third inning. It was his first home run since April 26, and for a second it felt like the cold streak was over.

Except the Dodgers immediately said: not so fast.

The Pitcher Is Historic. The Hitter? Not Even Close.

Here's the split that tells you everything about where Ohtani is right now. Among starting pitchers with at least 30 innings pitched, he leads all of Major League Baseball with a 0.97 ERA. That's elite. That's ace stuff. He just came off striking out eight batters over a season-high seven innings against the Astros, though he did allow more than one earned run for the first time this year on a pair of solo homers.

But as a hitter? Ohtani's OPS sits at .797 even after reaching base three times on Tuesday. Manager Dave Roberts isn't taking any chances, and frankly, the numbers back him up. The Dodgers are only 2-4 when Ohtani starts this season. They've lost 13 of his last 18 outings dating back to last year.

Wednesday and Thursday: Ohtani Pitches, Somebody Else Hits

When Ohtani takes the mound against San Francisco on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium (7:10 p.m. PT), he won't be in the DH spot. He'll sit out the starting lineup again Thursday in the series finale too, though he can pinch-hit if the moment matters.

Roberts didn't make this decision lightly. "I kind of talked to him and said that's kind of my thought. We were both good with it," he said. "I don't like the bait-and-switch."

The math is brutal. When Ohtani pitches, the Dodgers average just 2.9 runs per game. That's well below the league average of 4.6. Over the past three weeks, L.A. has been held to four runs or fewer in 15 of 20 games. Roberts figures giving Ohtani one, potentially two days to reset his body and mind away from the DH spot might be exactly what he needs.

"I think that giving him one day for sure, potentially two days, to reset the body, the mind, there's only upside," Roberts said. "It's tough on days he pitches."

The hope in Los Angeles is simple: let Ohtani dominate on the mound while another hitter carries the offensive load. Once his swing comes back, he'll get his full two-way workload back. Right now? The Dodgers can't afford to wait.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.