Shohei Ohtani's ERA DOUBLED and the Dodgers Are Still Downplaying His Bloody Blister

Alright, so you know how we talk about star power, right? Well, even the biggest names in baseball hit a rough patch, and right now, Shohei Ohtani is going through it. The Dodgers might have pulled off a comeback 5-4 win against the Rays to snag that sweep, but man, Ohtani's Wednesday start was a wild ride, and not in the good way. He went into that game with his left knee already barking, and he left it with a nasty blister on his pitching hand. The L.A. brass is trying to keep it chill, but after two straight shaky outings, you gotta wonder what's really going on.

The Numbers Are Getting Hard to Ignore

Let's just look at the raw facts, because sometimes the stat sheet tells you everything you need to know. Ohtani has coughed up seven earned runs over his last two starts. That's a huge jump! Before his June 10th start against the Pirates, his ERA was a microscopic 0.74. After Wednesday's game, that number ballooned to 1.47. Yeah, you read that right. His ERA has basically doubled in a week. Against the Rays, he pitched six innings, gave up seven hits, four runs, all earned, struck out five, and walked one.

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Now, to be fair, a 1.47 ERA is still elite. It's actually the second-lowest in the majors among guys who've thrown at least 50 innings this season. Only Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers is ahead of him with a 1.34. So the talent is still undeniably there. But the trend, man, that's what makes you raise an eyebrow. You start strong, you throw four scoreless innings, and then things just... unravel. That's not the Ohtani we're used to seeing dominate from start to finish.

Blisters, Knees, and a Risky Bet from Roberts

So what happened in that fifth inning? Ohtani's stuff looked crisp early on, but then a blister on his right middle finger decided to flare up. This isn't a new problem either, it's apparently been bugging him since early May. Once that thing opened up, you could visibly see it messing with his pitches. The top of the fifth went from a smooth ride to a total nightmare: a walk, a double, a sac fly, three singles in a row, then a ground-out, another single, and finally a ground-out on a bunt. A 2-0 Dodgers lead vanished, turning into a 4-2 Rays advantage in a blink.

And then there's the knee. Ohtani was pulled from his previous start against the Pirates because of inflammation in that balky left knee after a stolen base attempt. He's said himself it's a mechanics issue, and the Dodgers keep saying it's not a big deal. He's been able to DH, which is a good sign for his bat, but still. Manager Dave Roberts even brought Ohtani in to pinch-hit for Miguel Rojas in the bottom of the fifth, which means they had to give up their designated hitter for the rest of the game. Ohtani grounded out on the first pitch, but Roberts called it "worth a shot." The good news? Even with the blister drama, Ohtani came back out for the sixth, threw 91 pitches total, and retired the side in order, including a strikeout. Roberts confirmed post-game that the fifth-inning struggles were blister-related. Look, we all know what Ohtani means to that team, but how long can they just downplay these issues before they become a massive problem?

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