Rest day for Shohei Ohtani in Dodgers finale vs. Giants

TL;DR

Shohei Ohtani will not start for the Dodgers against the Giants, taking a planned rest day. He may be available to pinch-hit later in the game.

Key points

Shohei Ohtani is resting for the first time in 2026.
Ohtani may pinch-hit later in the game if needed.
Emmet Sheehan is the starting pitcher for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers are 8-5 in final games of series this season.

Emmet SheehanShohei OhtaniLos Angeles DodgersSan Francisco Giants

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 10: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers checks an iPad in the dugout during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on May 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images For the first time of 2026, the Dodgers on Thursday won’t have Shohei Ohtani starting for them in any capacity, a planned rest day during the final game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. The decision to have Ohtani not hit on either Wednesday or Thursday came before Tuesday’s game, when Ohtani hit his first home run in 16 days. He then followed that up with seven scoreless innings on the mound on Wednesday, lowering his MLB-leading ERA to a scant 0.82. “It might be a good thing to take a little bit of a load off his plate offensively,” manager Dave Roberts said on Tuesday. That means no start for Ohtani on Thursday, though Roberts did say Ohtani would be available to pinch-hit later in the game if needed. Roberts also had advice for Ohtani’s first real rest day of the season, which is directly in the middle of a stretch of 13 game days in a row for the Dodgers. “I would say show up late, start the day much later, build up some R and R,” Roberts said. “But as the game goes on, start reading the scoreboard and seeing if the situation potentially could arise, to then prepare for that spot.” had his second multi-hit game of the series on Wednesday night as he filled in at designated hitter while Ohtani was focusing only on pitching. has the other three non-Ohtani starts at DH this season, collecting a home run and double in his 11 at-bats, with four RBI. Throw in ’s pinch-hit double on May 5 in , the non-Ohtani designated hitters are hitting .313/.313/.625 (5-for-16) with two doubles, a home run, five runs scored and five RBI in four games, with another coming Thursday night. gets the start for the Dodgers to close out the homestand, after opening the homestand last Friday against the Atlanta Braves. Landen starts for the Giants. The Dodgers . Roupp walked five in that win but also allowed just one hit and struck out seven. He leads San Francisco with a 28.8-percent strikeout rate this season. The Dodgers are 8-5 in the final game of series this season, but just 3-4 in such games at home. Thursday is the end of the fourth homestand of the season, with the Dodgers splitting the final games in each of their first three homestands of 2026.

Q&A

Why is Shohei Ohtani resting during the Dodgers vs. Giants game?

Ohtani is taking a planned rest day to alleviate some of the offensive load, as stated by manager Dave Roberts.

What is Shohei Ohtani's current ERA in the MLB?

Ohtani's current MLB-leading ERA is 0.82 after pitching seven scoreless innings on Wednesday.

Who is starting for the Dodgers in place of Shohei Ohtani?

Emmet Sheehan is starting for the Dodgers in the final game against the Giants.

What time is the Dodgers vs. Giants game on Thursday?

The game is scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m. at Dodger Stadium.