Shohei Ohtani is struggling with a 0-for-17 slump while balancing his two-way role with the Dodgers. Despite his hitting difficulties, he has excelled as a pitcher, earning National League Pitcher of the Month honors.
Key points
Shohei Ohtani is in a 0-for-17 slump.
He has earned National League Pitcher of the Month honors.
Ohtani's current batting average is .240.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is limiting Ohtani's role.
Ohtani acknowledges the difficulty of his two-way role.
Shohei OhtaniLos Angeles DodgersHouston Astros
HOUSTON â Three hours before first pitch Monday, Shohei Ohtani had already put in a full dayâs work.
Mired in a 0-for-14 slump entering this weekâs series against the Astros, Ohtani got out on the field early at Daikin Park, taking not only rare on-field batting practice but an elongated session that included 55 swings.
A little while later, he reemerged from the clubhouse wearing both his full uniform and pitcherâs mitt, heading down to the bullpen for some touch-and-feel throws the day before he was scheduled for his next start on the mound.
Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani flies out during the seventh inning against the Astros in Houston on May 4. APDodgers DH Shohei Ohtani flies out during the seventh inning against the Astros in Houston on May 4. AP
By the time it was all done, he returned to his locker, plopped down in his chair, and allowed himself one brief moment to seemingly catch his breath.
Only then did he begin the rest of his preparation for that nightâs game.
In case anyone forgot, the challenge of a full-time two-way role â even for Ohtani and his near-superhuman capabilities â is not for the faint of body, mind or heart.
Ohtani has been superb on the mound, earning National League Pitcher of the Month recognition on Monday. AP
The has done this all before, of course, largely excelling in both his pitching and hitting duties over three seasons with the Angels from 2021â2023, as well as in his return from a second career Tommy John surgery at the end of last year with the Dodgers.
But as the first month of this season showed, the re-acclimation process hasnât been as seamless as anticipated.
Which, by the end of Monday night, had led to another twist in his usage.
Before Mondayâs game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he was planning to have Ohtani serve as DH when the 31-year-old took the mound on Tuesday â a one-time formality that has now become a start-to-start question.
After , however, Roberts announced he had reversed course and was going to have Ohtani just focus on pitching â marking the third time in his last four outings the two-way star has been limited to just a single job on the mound.
Ohtani himself even conceded to the increased difficulty of managing a two-way role. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
In the intervening hours, Ohtaniâs offensive slump had only worsened, suffering a fifth-straight game without a hit (making him 0-for-17 in that span) despite walking twice and driving in a run.
Roberts insisted the decision was âdefinitely not [based on] results,â and instead driven by his reading of Ohtaniâs âbody language and just watching the player.â
Still, he added: âJust kind of seeing how itâs playing out, I think itâs best for everyone.â
The good news for the Dodgers: Ohtani has been superb on the mound, earning recognition on Monday after going 2â1 with a 0.60 ERA in his first five pitching starts of the year.
That, Roberts noted, has far and away surpassed the teamâs expectations.
The problem is that, to this point, it seems to be coming at least partially at the cost of his hitting, where he now has a .240 batting average, .814 OPS and just six total home runs (including one in his last 20 games).
âI guess what heâs done the past couple years,â Roberts said, âyou sort of get use to.â
Last week, Roberts and others around the team first .
Ohtani himself even conceded to the increased difficulty of managing a two-way role, acknowledging that this yearâs task has been a âbalancing actâ with his workload and time management.
âIt is easier to maintain something good [offensively] when things are going well,â he said through interpreter Will Ireton. âBut when things are not going well, itâs not easy in the sense that I have to make sure that Iâm healthy and not overdoing it in terms of repetition.â
According to hitting coach Aaron Bates, Ohtani has still taken a similar number of daily swings in the cage as he had the past couple seasons, when he combined for 109 home runs and a .296 average while focusing almost exclusively on hitting.
But, his âattention span is probably splitâ in a way it wasnât before, Bates added, amplifying the challenge of snapping out of what is now his longest slump as a Dodger (heâs batting just .203 in his last 20 games overall).
Thatâs what made Mondayâs intensive batting practice session so notable, as the slugger sought a âdifferent backdropâ to try and get his recently pull-happy swing back to âthe big part of the park,â Bates said.
Unsurprisingly, Ohtani put on a show. He hit numerous second-deck blasts to right field. He hit one so far the other way it landed on the stadium train tracks in left.
Come the game, however, the results still didnât translate ââ bursting Robertsâ optimistic pregame hope that âmost of the times when he does this, it works.â
This doesnât mean the Dodgers are considering larger changes to Ohtaniâs usage plan this year.
While the search for two-way equilibrium is tricky, it nonetheless remains âdoable,â Roberts insisted.
âHeâs going to DH a lot. Heâs going to pitch a lot,â the manager said. âNow, how best we preserve him and keep him strong and healthy is the question.â
On Monday, the answer meant a heavy pregame workload for Ohtani, followed by an unexpected change in his near-term usage.
For now, such trade-offs might be necessary while he looks to rediscover his swing while also maintaining his pitching dominance.
âIs he going to go 50-50? No,â Roberts said. âBut he is still going to be a very, very productive offensive player.â
Q&A
What is Shohei Ohtani's current batting average and hitting performance?
Shohei Ohtani currently has a .240 batting average and has not hit a home run in his last 20 games.
Why is Shohei Ohtani focusing more on pitching than hitting?
Ohtani is focusing more on pitching due to his recent offensive slump and the need to manage his workload effectively.
How has Ohtani performed as a pitcher this season?
Ohtani has been outstanding on the mound, going 2â1 with a 0.60 ERA in his first five starts, earning National League Pitcher of the Month recognition.
What challenges is Ohtani facing in his two-way role with the Dodgers?
Ohtani is facing challenges in managing his time and workload between pitching and hitting, leading to difficulties in maintaining his offensive performance.
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