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Dodgers lean into Shohei Ohtani-only pitching strategy
TL;DR
Shohei Ohtani excelled as a pitcher for the Dodgers, striking out 10 batters in a recent 8-2 victory over the Mets. Manager Dave Roberts noted that focusing solely on pitching helped Ohtani perform at his best.
Dodgers lean into Shohei Ohtani-only pitching strategy originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani had one of his best starts of the 2026 season when he struck out 10 batters in the 8-2 win against the New York Mets. Ohtani pitched six innings and gave up only two hits for one earned run. The Mets gave Ohtani a headache in the fifth when MJ Melendez hit a RBI double, but he was a class apart the rest of the time.
Ohtani was given a rest from hitting, and he appeared more focused, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
"I thought it was a good decision, you know, to have Shohei just focus on pitching and did a heck of a job tonight," Roberts said. "You know, him just focusing on one thing and, you know, I thought that just channeling all that energy into pitching was helpful. And, you know, the last couple of outings, I felt he was fighting himself a little bit at times. But tonight, he was really good, and I think even the fifth inning got a little bit wonky, but he kind of reined it back in and then came back out for the sixth and was really good."
Roberts could maybe ponder the idea of making this a strategy where Ohtani can rest on days when he is needed in pitching. However, Ohtani has also given enough reason to suggest that even with two jobs on the same day, he can still do well on both fronts.
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In the post-game press conference, Dave Roberts also confirmed that Shohei Ohtani will feature as a designated hitter in Friday's series opener against the Colorado Rockies.
"He'll be in there on Friday," Roberts said.
The manager also updated that there was no problem with his shoulder after the win against the Mets.
"Just talked to the trainer and he didn't come in for treatment as far as icing it or anything like that. So that was a good sign," he added.
Roberts sat out Ohtani on Wednesday after he was hit by a pitch on Monday. Though there is no major injury concern, Roberts preferred not to put the extra strain on that throwing shoulder, especially on the day he starts.
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Q&A
What was Shohei Ohtani's pitching performance against the New York Mets?
Shohei Ohtani struck out 10 batters and allowed only two hits and one earned run in six innings during the Dodgers' 8-2 win over the Mets.
Why did the Dodgers choose to rest Shohei Ohtani from hitting?
The Dodgers rested Ohtani from hitting to allow him to focus solely on pitching, which manager Dave Roberts believed improved his performance.
Could the Dodgers adopt a strategy of using Ohtani only as a pitcher?
Manager Dave Roberts is considering the possibility of using Ohtani exclusively as a pitcher on certain days to maximize his effectiveness on the mound.
