Shohei Ohtani, the pitcher, against the Marlins

TL;DR

Shohei Ohtani will pitch against the Miami Marlins but will not hit, focusing on his pitching duties. This marks the second time this season he won't serve as the designated hitter during a start.

Key points

Shohei Ohtani will pitch but not hit against the Marlins
This is the second time this season Ohtani won't DH while pitching
Ohtani reached base nine times in his last 14 plate appearances
The Dodgers game against the Marlins starts at 7:10 p.m.

Los Angeles DodgersMiami MarlinsLos Angeles Angels

Mar 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after missing a pitch in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Shohei Ohtani snapped the longest home run drought of his Dodgers tenure in a three-hit game on Sunday, and collected three more hits, including an RBI double in the ninth on Monday to help set up Kyle Tucker’s walk-off winner. Ohtani has reached base nine times in his last 14 plate plate appearances over the last three games. But he won’t hit in Tuesday’s game against the Miami Marlins, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed on Monday night. Instead, Ohtani will focus on pitching, part of the ever-present puzzle of managing the workload of a two-way player who excels at both pitching and hitting. This is the second time in five pitching starts for Ohtani this season in which he was not also the designated hitter. The first time, on April 15 against the New York Mets, came two days after getting hit by a pitch on the back of his right shoulder, which factored into the decision. By (to start the day before an off day), Ohtani on Tuesday will pitch on five days rest for the first time this season. After starting the fifth game of the season on the mound, Ohtani’s other pitching starts came on seven, six, and six days of rest. Some of the cost of removing Ohtani from the lineup is mitigated somewhat by having backup catcher ready and able to fill in when needed at designated hitter. Rushing so far this season has started once each at DH and first base in addition to his nine catching starts, and is hitting .385/.467/.974 with seven home runs, second on the team despite batting only 45 times. Speaking of Rushing, he pinch-hit for second baseman in the ninth inning and walked, helping to set up Tucker’s game-winner. But had the Dodgers only tied the game, things would have gotten weird in the 10th inning, because the Dodgers at that point were out of position players. Roberts that in the 10th he would have moved to second base, and moved to third base with Rushing at first base. Muncy has 161 career starts at second base, but the last one was in 2022, before Major League Baseball put limitations on defensive shifts. Freeman started 16 games at third base way back in 2017 with the , but otherwise has only worn a first baseman’s glove in the field in his 17-year career. Sure, the Dodgers won on Monday, but at the cost of expanding our sense of wonder.

Q&A

Why is Shohei Ohtani not hitting against the Marlins?

Ohtani is focusing on pitching, as confirmed by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, to manage the workload of the two-way player.

When was the last time Ohtani didn't hit while pitching?

The last time Ohtani didn't hit while pitching was on April 15 against the New York Mets.

How has Ohtani performed in recent games?

Ohtani has reached base nine times in his last 14 plate appearances and had a three-hit game on Sunday, ending his home run drought.

What time is the Dodgers vs. Marlins game on Tuesday?

The Dodgers vs. Marlins game is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. at Dodger Stadium.