Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Limited to pitching Tuesday
Rotowire
Ohtani will start Tuesday's game against the Marlins on the mound but won't bat, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
This scenario was rumored to be a possibility prior to Monday's win over Miami, and skipper Dave Roberts confirmed in his postgame presser that Ohtani will be limited to pitching the second game of the series in an effort give him a bit of a break. The two-way player figures to be back in the starting nine in the DH spot for Wednesday afternoon's series finale.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: May not hit Tuesday
Rotowire
Ohtani, who is scheduled to start Tuesday's game against the Marlins on the mound, could be held back from hitting, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
Manager Dave Roberts stated that the team intends to give Ohtani a break given the fact that the two-way player is pitching on five days of rest instead of his usual six days. The Dodgers also have an early start time Wednesday, making it all the more likely that Ohtani is restricted to pitching only Tuesday. Expect more clarification from the team on the 31-year-old's usage closer to Tuesday's first pitch.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Crushes homer in three-hit effort
Rotowire
Ohtani went 3-for-3 with a solo home run, a double, an additional run scored and a walk in Sunday's 6-0 win over the Cubs.
Ohtani reached base in all four of his plate appearances, highlighted by an opposite-field solo homer off Hoby Milner in the seventh inning. It marked the two-way superstar's first long ball since April 12 after he slashed just .182/.294/.250 over his previous 11 games. Ohtani's numbers at the plate may not be as eye-popping as in recent seasons, but he's still slashing .262/.391/.485 with six homers, 12 RBI, 19 runs and three stolen bases while also dominating on the mound with a 0.38 ERA and 0.75 WHIP along with a 2-0 record across 24 innings (four starts).
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Pitches great, quiet at plate
Rotowire
Ohtani scattered five hits and struck out seven without walking a batter over six scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Giants on Wednesday. He also went 0-for-4 with a strikeout as a batter.
Ohtani continues to dominate on the mound this season -- he's allowed just two runs (one earned) over 24 innings so far, good for a 0.38 ERA. He's added a 25:6 K:BB and 0.75 WHIP. He wasn't able to get any run support in this contest, nor did he help his own cause as his 53-game on-base streak came to a close. Ohtani hasn't quite been himself at the plate yet this year with a .258/.382/.472 slash line, five home runs, 11 RBI, 15 runs scored and one stolen base over 24 contests as a hitter this season. His next pitching start is projected to be at home versus the Marlins.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Notches first steal
Rotowire
Ohtani went 1-for-4 with two walks, two runs and a stolen base in a 12-3 win against the Rockies on Monday.
Ohtani singled in the third inning to extend his on-base streak to 52 games and reached base twice more before the game was over. Of significance for fantasy managers who roster the two-way star, Ohtani also attempted his first stolen base of the season and successfully made it into second base. The reigning NL MVP has been somewhat quiet in the power department with a modest (by his standards) five homers and 11 RBI through 22 games, but he's also logged a .402 OBP and .908 OPS while recording a 0.50 ERA and 0.72 WHIP with an 18:6 K:BB over 18 innings on the mound, so he's done plenty to help Los Angeles achieve a league-best 16-6 record.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Strikes out 10 in win
Rotowire
Ohtani (2-0) allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out 10 over six innings to earn the win Wednesday over the Mets.
Ohtani didn't hit Wednesday, as he is still dealing with some residual effects of a hit-by-pitch from Monday's game. Whatever issue is there didn't impact his pitching, as he continues be nearly unhittable this season. The lone run against him came on MJ Melendez's ground-rule double in the fifth inning. Across three starts (18 innings), Ohtani has a 0.50 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 18:6 K:BB. His next pitching start is tentatively projected to be at San Francisco next week, but Ohtani should be able to get back into the lineup as a hitter before then.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Pitching but not batting Wednesday
Rotowire
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani will start on the mound against the Mets on Wednesday but will not serve as the team's designated hitter, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.
The decision to have Ohtani out of the lineup was tied to when he was hit by a David Peterson pitch during Monday's game against New York, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Ohtani has gone 0-for-7 with one run scored over his last two outings and will have the opportunity to focus solely on pitching during Wednesday's contest. Dalton Rushing will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter and bat seventh while Kyle Tucker moves up to the leadoff spot.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Another leadoff homer in loss
Rotowire
Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks in Sunday's loss to the Rangers.
After blasting a leadoff homer Saturday, Ohtani did it again Sunday, cranking Jacob deGrom's first-pitch fastball over the right-field wall. After going homerless through his first six games, Ohtani has launched five over his past nine contests and has recorded five multi-hit efforts during that span. The two-way star is off to a strong start at the plate overall, posting a .996 OPS through 73 plate appearances in 2026.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Leads off win with homer
Rotowire
Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a 6-3 victory versus Texas on Saturday.
After the Rangers' Brandon Nimmo led off the game with a homer, Ohtani returned the favor with a long ball of his own leading off the Dodgers' half of the first inning. The two-way star didn't go deep until his seventh game this season, but he's now homered four times over his past eight games. Ohtani has yet to steal a base this yet, but he's otherwise been quite productive, slashing .283/.412/.528 with the four long balls, nine RBI, eight runs and 11 walks through 14 games as a hitter while having yet to allow an earned run across 12 innings spanning two starts on the mound.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Logs another quality start
Rotowire
Ohtani didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Blue Jays, allowing one unearned run on four hits and a walk across six innings while striking out two. He went 0-for-3 with a walk at the plate.
Ohtani has delivered back-to-back quality starts to open his season on the mound. He's yet to give up an earned run across 12 innings, allowing just five hits and four walks while striking out eight in that span. Ohtani's next outing on the mound is tentatively scheduled for next week at home against the Mets. His hitless performance Wednesday ended a modest five-game hit streak, during which he went 9-for-24 with a double and three homers.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Goes deep again Monday
Rotowire
Ohtani went 2-for-6 with a solo home run and an additional run scored Monday in a 14-2 rout of Blue Jays.
Ohtani launched a 414-foot solo shot to center field in the sixth inning to give Los Angeles a 7-1 lead. After beginning the season with no homers through his first six contests, the two-way star has now gone deep three times over his past four games. Ohtani has exactly two hits in each contest during that span and has produced seven RBI while scoring five times.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Swats second homer
Rotowire
Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a second RBI in Sunday's 8-6 win over the Nationals.
Ohtani opened the scoring in the third inning with a 438-foot blast off Foster Griffin, his second homer of the season. He'd later put the Dodgers ahead 7-6 with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. After starting the year 3-for-18, Ohtani has logged three consecutive multi-hit games, going 6-for-15 with a pair of homers and six RBI in that span.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Belts first homer of year
Rotowire
Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in Friday's 13-6 win over the Nationals.
The perennial MVP candidate got the Dodgers on the board in the third inning when he parked a Miles Mikolas changeup into the right-field seats for a three-run shot. The blast kicked off a 16-hit, five-homer barrage by the defending champions, and it was Ohtani's first long ball of the season. Through seven games, he's batting .217 (5-for-23) with three runs, four RBI and a 7:7 BB:K.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Next start scheduled April 8
Rotowire
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Wednesday that Ohtani is scheduled to make his next start in the team's series finale against the Blue Jays on Wednesday, April 8, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
The Dodgers plan on deploying a six-man rotation during the upcoming six-game road trip by mixing in a start for southpaw Justin Wrobleski, which means the next time Ohtani takes the mound will be during next week's World Series rematch. Ohtani dominated in his pitching debut against the Guardians on Tuesday, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out six across six scoreless innings to earn the win. Per Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com, Ohtani holds the longest regular-season scoreless streak among active pitchers at 22.2 innings, dating back to the 2025 campaign.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Smooth in season pitching debut
Rotowire
Ohtani (1-0) completed six scoreless innings in a win against Cleveland on Tuesday, allowing one hit and issuing three walks while striking out six batters. He also went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks as a batter.
The Dodgers opted to have Ohtani be the last of the team's five pitchers in the season-opening rotation to make a start, but he looked every bit an ace against the Guardians. The two-way star retired the first seven batters he faced and yielded just one hit (a Rhys Hoskins double) overall. Ohtani did put some additional runners on base with three walks and a hit-by-pitch, but he threw 54 of 87 pitches for strikes, so his control wasn't particularly shaky. In addition to the strong outing on the mound, he reached base three times, extending his regular-season on-base streak to 36 games dating back to last year. That's the longest active streak in the majors, as is his current regular-season 22.2-inning scoreless streak as a pitcher, per Sarah Langs of MLB.com. He hasn't hit a home run or stolen a base yet, but Ohtani continues to show why he's arguably baseball's -- and fantasy's -- most unique player.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Posts 11 punchouts in final tuneup
Rotowire
Ohtani completed four innings in an exhibition start against the Angels on Tuesday, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out 11 batters. He also went 1-for-2 as a hitter.
Ohtani looked dominant for most of the outing, racking up 17 whiffs among his 86 pitches and getting 11 of his 12 outs via strikeout. The only negative about his punchout spree is that it drove up his pitch count -- per Jack Harris of the California Post, the Dodgers intended for the two-way star to get into the sixth inning, but he ended up completing only four frames. Ohtani may have run out of steam a bit in the fifth, as he gave up three straight hits -- all of which were singles -- before being lifted, and all three runners eventually came around to score. Regardless, Ohtani showcased his overpowering arsenal in the outing, and it's a great sign for his readiness as a pitcher for the start of the season that he was able to approach 90 pitches. He's slated to make his first start as a pitcher Tuesday against the Guardians at Dodger Stadium.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Superb in spring pitching debut
Rotowire
Ohtani tossed 4.1 scoreless innings in a Cactus League start against the Giants on Wednesday, allowing one hit and issuing two walks while striking out four batters.
This was Ohtani's first outing of the Cactus League slate, as he spent much of spring with Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic. The two-way star didn't pitch during the tournament, but he continued to work on his throwing progression with bullpen and live batting-practice sessions. Ohtani certainly didn't seem to be very far behind in his ramp-up Wednesday -- he threw 61 pitches (34 strikes) and topped out at 99.9 mph on his fastball, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. While Ohtani will likely have some slight innings limitations early in the campaign, he's slated to be part of the Dodgers' rotation from the get-go and may need only a few starts to ramp up to a full workload.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Taking mound Wednesday
Rotowire
Manager Dave Roberts said that Ohtani will pitch in Wednesday's Cactus League game versus the Giants and added that the two-way star is lined up for the Freeway Series versus the Angels between March 22 and 24, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Ohtani is expected to pitch 3-to-4 innings in his first start during the regular season as a pitcher. Wednesday's Cactus League game will be the first time the four-time MVP will have pitched in a spring training game since 2023 when he was with the Angels. The right-hander did not pitch for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic, but he has been participating in bullpen and live batting-practice sessions in his progression.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: May have pitch limit to begin '26
Rotowire
Manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Ohtani will throw a bullpen session at Dodgers camp later this week and is expected to be ready to cover at least 3-to-4 innings in his first start of the season as a pitcher, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
After leaving the Dodgers in late February to join Team Japan for the World Baseball Classic, Ohtani has returned to Arizona and is continuing to prepare for a two-way role ahead of Opening Day. Roberts said that Ohtani will make his return to the spring lineup as a designated hitter in the coming days, and after his bullpen session, the Dodgers will decide whether the four-time MVP makes another Cactus League start as a pitcher or continues to build up through a minor-league game at camp. Even though he served exclusively as a DH during his stay with Team Japan, Ohtani was able to continue with his spring throwing progression. He most recently tossed a four-inning, 59-pitch live batting practice session last Thursday, and Roberts seems optimistic that the right-hander can at least work that long in his first start of the campaign, which could fall during the second or third game of the Dodgers' season-opening series versus the Diamondbacks. Ideally for Ohtani's fantasy managers, he'll be efficient enough to cover five innings in his first start, which would give him a chance at qualifying for a win.
... See More... See Less
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Staying in leadoff spot
Rotowire
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Wednesday that Ohtani will remain the team's leadoff hitter during the 2026 season, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
For the first time since his final season with the Angels in 2023, Ohtani is preparing for a full season of pitching, but that won't affect the Dodgers' approach with him as their everyday designated hitter. After slugging a career-high 55 home runs while making 148 of his 158 starts out of the leadoff spot during the 2025 regular season, the four-time MVP will continue to set the table for Los Angeles once again in 2026. Per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Ohtani is expected to start at DH in the Dodgers' first two Cactus League games this weekend to get some competitive at-bats under his belt before he joins Team Japan in advance of the World Baseball Classic. Roberts has already said that Ohtani won't pitch for Japan in the WBC, but the two-way phenom will likely continue to build up through bullpen and live batting practice sessions throughout the spring to ensure that he'll be part of the Dodgers' Opening Day rotation.
