Did Ohtani Sell It? Viral Reaction to HBP Against Cardinals Sparks Jokes

The Dodgers’ broadcast booth also had some fun at Ohtani’s expense, as shown in a video shared by MLB.

“That was a little dramatic for a 75 mph sweeper,” said Joe Davis. “And he knows it.”

“It hit him on the most padded place on his body,” added Orel Hershiser.

If Ohtani gets his last major MLB award, the Cy Young, then who knows? Maybe Hollywood is indeed next.

How did Shohei Ohtani play on Sunday?

Batting leadoff as designated hitter, the hit-by-pitch moment may have been the highlight of Ohtani’s Sunday.

Otherwise, he went 0-for-3 with a walk on balls as well. He did not score.

Against the Cardinals, Ohtani struggled over the three-game series.

On Friday, he was 0-for-5 with a strikeout, and on Saturday, he was 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts.

How are the rest of the Dodgers playing?

He hasn’t had a hit since April 27, when he went 3-for-5 against the Miami Marlins and scored two runs.

Ohtani’s slump coincides with a team-wide struggle at the plate.

Manager Dave Roberts has indicated that, at least in part, a spreading illness has hurt the Dodgers at the plate.

As the players recover from that bug, they’ll get another chance to get the bats going against the Houston Astros in a three-game series starting Monday evening.

First pitch is set for 5:10 p.m. PT, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets the start.

That means Ohtani is likely to get the start on Tuesday, and if recent history is a guide, he’ll likely only be a pitcher, not designated hitter.