Shohei Ohtani takes mound as pitcher only for first time in 5 years

Since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani has played as a designated hitter 347 times and a designated hitter/starting pitcher 20 times (including playoffs). On Wednesday, he played his first game as a pitcher only.

Ohtani was not in his usual leadoff spot in the lineup against the New York Mets for the Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson Day game, but did make his scheduled start on the mound.

Kyle Tucker, the team’s usual No. 2 hitter, took over leadoff duties, while Freddie Freeman got bumped up from cleanup to No. 2.

The last time Ohtani started as a pitcher without hitting was May 28, 2021 during his career with the Los Angeles Angeles. That start also predated the Ohtani rule, which allows him to remain in the game as a DH after being done as a starter.

Once he’s finished throwing Wednesday, he’s out of the game.

The decision to give Ohtani a break as a hitter comes two days after he took a hit-by-pitch to the shoulder from Mets pitcher David Peterson. He went 0-for-7 at the plate after that between Monday and Tuesday.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Wednesday that Ohtani is still sore from the HBP, but it didn’t play a factor in Ohtani not hitting. Instead, he said the set-up “gives him the best chance to stay loose during the outing.”

Shohei Ohtani will be a one-way player on Wednesday.

(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

There were also complaints from the Toronto Blue Jays during Ohtani’s last start over how much time he was given to warm up between innings after coming off the basepaths, continuing a debate from last year’s World Series. Again, it’s unclear if that has any bearing here, but it at least illustrates that being a two-way player requires more than the already formidable task of becoming elite at both hitting and pitching.

Ohtani entered Wednesday as the only real starting pitcher to have not allowed an earned run so far this season. He has looked like a somewhat different pitcher in his two 2026 starts, but most important for the Dodgers is he remains healthy.

Ohtani playing as a pitcher only also won’t endanger his MLB-best 48-game on-base streak, already a record among Japanese-born players.