Breaking news, folks, Shohei Ohtani is indeed human. Every season, we hear about something this guy does that hasn’t been done before, but it looks like even Ohtani can hit a rough patch. And amid this offensive dip, the Dodgers have a decision to make.
They could’ve pushed Ohtani to bat as the leadoff hitter, even on the day he pitches, or give him an off day from batting and use him only as a pitcher. And it looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers are leaning towards the latter.
The New York Post reported, “Before Monday’s game… Roberts said he was planning to have Ohtani serve as DH… After the game… he had reversed course… marking the third time in his last four outings the two-way star has been limited to just a single job.”
And it might be for the better.
Shohei Ohtani entered the game against the Houston Astros being hitless in his last 14 at-bats. That stretch worsened to 0 for 17 across five games after the game against the Astros. He has also managed only 1 homer since April 12 despite playing almost every game.
His numbers have seen a significant dip, with his average being just .240. Over his last 20 games, he is batting just .203, showing clear struggles at the plate. This has also marked his longest hitless stretch in four years, raising some concerns. But should there be any?
This slump is not something new for Ohtani.
He hit .139 over 17 games back in 2024. Even during the 2025 season, he hit just .188 during a 26-game stretch. These slumps have come almost every season, showing that even elite hitters face rough patches.
Historically, Ohtani has rebounded strongly after each slump and carried the teams for months.
Manager Dave Roberts has publicly backed Ohtani despite the ongoing struggles.
“Without question, he sets extremely high standards for himself. We all do… I know he is frustrated, but it is not showing in his attitude.”
The 2-way hitter himself explained, “It is easier to maintain something good when things are going well. But when things are not going well, it’s not easy.”
And this is exactly why the Dodgers and Dave Roberts decided not to use him as a batter when he pitches. And that seems to be paying off.
Ohtani has an ERA of 0.60 in 5 starts and has not allowed any homers.
Sitting out as a hitter during his pitching days reduces the mental and physical load on the body. And given what is expected of him over the season, this was always going to be the better choice, especially when the bat is not making noise.
But the blame isn’t on him alone.
The team went 6 straight games without a home run, their longest drought since 2014. During the four-game losing streak, they scored two runs or fewer in every game. Even during wins, it was just a couple of players who made the impact and got the team through the line.
So while Ohtani’s slump matters, the team is also not doing all that great. But the question that also pops up is: Is Shohei Ohtani pushing to be more of a pitcher?
Could Shohei Ohtani be more focused on his pitching?
Before the 2026 season began, Cy Young talks around Shohei Ohtani had already become loud. The Los Angeles Dodgers clearly supported his ambition, trusting his two-way ability.
Manager Dave Roberts said that this is “extremely important” for Ohtani during a Dan Patrick interview.
Both Ohtani and Yamamoto are in the Cy Young conversations, but with how the season has started for Ohtani, he might be ahead.
So far in the season, Yamamoto has pitched 43.2 innings, recording a 3.09 ERA with 40 SOs in 7 starts.
Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani has opened the season with 5 starts, 0.60 ERA across 30 innings. He earned the NL Pitcher of the Month after a dominant March and April. He also has 34 strikeouts and allowed just 9 walks.
In every start, he pitched six innings while allowing no homers. This consistency has placed his start among the best pitching runs in the Dodgers franchise history. And that is starting to push him more as a Cy Young candidate.
But ESPN analysts projected him at 3rd in the ranking. He is said to finish behind Paul Skenes and Chase Burns.
The main reason for this is limited innings compared with full-time pitchers. Jeff Passan argued that the innings pitched have a major say in the voting.
And that is why Ohtani naturally falls behind. Because he will not reach the same innings pitched as a typical starter would. But even with fewer innings, his ERA and command have kept him firmly in the race.
Voters often compare peak performance against durability when evaluating pitching awards. And Ohtani remains competitive because his performance exceeds that of many traditional starting pitchers this season. When you compare him to the likes of Garrett Crochet (6.30 ERA), who finished as a runner-up last season, Ohtani is miles ahead.
Even when compared to Paul Skenes, Ohtani is having a slightly better season.
Skenes has an ERA of 2.91 with 39 strikeouts. Even when you look at the innings pitched, Skenes has pitched 34. So the two of them are not very far.
But for Ohtani, Cy Young remains the final missing piece in his cabinet. This makes his motivation to pitch stronger as the season moves forward. Winning the Pitcher of the Month shows his dominance and how he is making his arm more of a weapon than his bat.
But if Ohtani starts to focus more on pitching, the Los Angeles Dodgers may need extra offensive production from other players.
