Ohtani Takes the Mound Without the Bat, and the Dodgers Are Banking on It
Shohei Ohtani pitched Wednesday night against the Mets without stepping into the batter's box. It was a historic rarity for baseball's two-way sensation: the first time in five years that Ohtani has started a game on the mound but not also hit.
The Dodgers made the call two days after a 94 mph sinker caught Ohtani in the upper back near his right shoulder during Monday's first inning. He stayed in the game and even DH'd Tuesday night, but manager Dave Roberts decided to keep him out of the lineup Wednesday to "give him the best chance to stay loose" during his start.
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Roberts explained the calculus plainly. "When he's hitting, there's a component that he's in the cage, getting ready to hit," Roberts said. "If we can take that off his plate, and just focus on one thing tonight, we felt, training staff, pitching coaches and myself, it was the best thing for him." Ohtani got it immediately.
The injury from the sinker was the primary driver, but timing helped too. With Thursday off and four straight games coming in Denver at mile-high altitude, the Dodgers saw a window to give their star a mental and physical breather from the two-way grind.
A Rare Look at Baseball Before "The Ohtani Rule"
The last time Ohtani pitched without hitting was May 28, 2021, back before Major League Baseball created what became known as "The Ohtani Rule." That rule lets pitchers stay in the lineup as DHs for entire games. Wednesday's decision took us back to those pre-rule days.
Dalton Rushing, the Dodgers' talented young backup catcher, took over DH duties. Kyle Tucker slid into Ohtani's usual leadoff spot. Ohtani is fully recovered from his second ulnar collateral ligament surgery and is in his first full-time two-way season since 2022. Roberts left the door open to using this approach again if the situation makes sense, though he's not planning to do it proactively.
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