Shohei Ohtani is taking a temporary break from the batter’s box, a move that could extend beyond just one day as the Los Angeles Dodgers star battles through a prolonged slump.
The two-way sensation has managed only four hits in 36 at-bats this month, with no home runs in May and just six for the season. His batting average sits at .233 with 16 RBIs, well below his usual elite standards.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced Tuesday that Ohtani will not serve as the designated hitter on Thursday, though he remains available as a late-game option if the contest is on the line. Roberts also indicated he was leaning toward resting Ohtani’s bat on Wednesday, when the right-hander is scheduled to start on the mound against the San Francisco Giants.
“It might just be a good thing to take a little bit of a load off of his plate offensively,” Roberts said. “I just can’t take for granted what’s on his plate and so I’m trying to be sensitive.”
Ohtani’s offensive woes have mirrored the Dodgers’ recent struggles. Los Angeles (24-17) entered Tuesday trailing the NL West-leading San Diego Padres by half a game after a three-game losing streak. Andy Pages (.325) and Max Muncy (.280) have been the team’s most consistent hitters, while other key bats—including Freddie Freeman (.273) and Kyle Tucker (.250)—have also faltered.
This marks Ohtani’s first full season as a two-way player with the Dodgers after being limited to DH duties in 2024, following two major right elbow surgeries. That year, he famously created the 50/50 club with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases, earning NL MVP honors and helping the Dodgers win the World Series. In 2025, he returned to the mound midseason and delivered another MVP campaign with 55 homers and 20 steals, along with a second consecutive World Series title.
Now, with no innings restrictions on the mound, Ohtani has been dominant as a pitcher. In six starts, he is 2-2 with a 0.97 ERA, 42 strikeouts, and just four earned runs allowed over 37 innings. But the offensive production has not followed.
“He’s still calibrating on this kind of newfound two-way player,” Roberts noted.
Roberts emphasized that Ohtani is always willing to do whatever the team needs, but the manager understands the need to protect his most valuable asset from overexertion.
“He’s always going to want to do more,” Roberts said. “He has that sense of responsibility to his teammates that he wants to be out there on both ways. I’ve learned that I have to be proactive and take it out of his hands.”
The decision to give Ohtani a day off from hitting was based on a pattern of declining quality at-bats. “When the quality of at-bats starts to go down consistently, I think that’s a sign that there needs to be a break because you’re just not able to stay within your game plan and then the chase starts to spike,” Roberts explained. “The fatigue is bleeding into the mechanics. Most players get that towards the end of the summer. Now I’m learning managing Shohei it’s probably showing itself a little earlier as far as the tax on pitching and all that comes with it to the hitting, too.”
Ohtani is unaccustomed to sitting out as a hitter; he has only been absent from the DH spot three times this season. Roberts suggested Ohtani show up late on Thursday.
The Dodgers knew in spring training that having Ohtani return to full-time two-way duties for the first time since 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels would be a challenge.
“It definitely feels sustainable,” Roberts said. “I wouldn’t say it’s more difficult. I think that we all came in knowing that we had to read and react, it was going to be fluid. It should be. It’s very unique.”