Roberts gives his best Ohtani impression before another dazzling start

Shohei Ohtani isn’t just a four-time MVP and one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. He also has some of the game’s most recognizable movements -- from batting stance to pitching motions to facial expressions.

His teammates have already enjoyed mocking Ohtani in the past (even in-game). Now, the skipper has joined in on the gag.

Ohtani made his third 2026 start on the mound Wednesday night in the Dodgers’ 8-2 win over the Mets, but for the first time since 2021, he wasn’t doing his superhuman double-duty as the designated hitter. Asked pregame about Ohtani’s reaction to the decision, manager Dave Roberts had some fun with his answer.

“He went,” Roberts said, jerking away from the microphone with eyes wide open in a reaction we’ve definitely all seen from Ohtani before. Roberts grinned and scanned a room full of laughs while leaving his answer there.

Of course, Ohtani’s performance on the mound was no laughing matter. He allowed just two hits and one earned run in six strong innings, striking out a whopping 10 Mets as the Dodgers swept New York.

The Mets did manage to end Ohtani’s streak of 32 2/3 regular-season innings without allowing an earned run, but his 0.50 ERA has him on a strong early track in his chase for one of the few individual accolades he has yet to capture: a Cy Young Award.