WEST SACRAMENTO -- The Dodgers pushed Shohei Ohtani's next pitching start back to Friday night, when he'll take on the Padres at Dodger Stadium. He was originally scheduled to make his next start in Wednesday's series finale against the A's at Sutter Health Park.
Ohtani has gone 8-2 with a 1.58 ERA through 13 starts. He has generally pitched on a weekly schedule, getting six days off in between starts, but the Dodgers have been open about the possibility of seeking opportunities to give him even more rest as needed.
With the Dodgers in the middle of a stretch of 13 straight games without an off-day, the team decided that now is the time. Ohtani will get a season-high eight days of rest in between his previous start last Wednesday and his upcoming start on Friday.
Another factor was that Ohtani will still be able to make two starts before the All-Star break, and because he was pushed back a day, both will come against divisional opponents. His final start of the first half should be lined up for July 10 against the D-backs at Dodger Stadium.
"I think it’s mostly schedule-driven," manager Dave Roberts said. "We talked to Shohei, and he agreed to whatever we felt, knowing it’s best for him. So again, upside, downside -- there’s no downside with him losing starts. Get more rest. No downside was the thought. That was the whole driver."
Ohtani has not missed a pitching start this season, even while dealing with some lingering soreness in his left knee and a blister on his right hand. Ohtani said that something with his pitching mechanics may have aggravated his knee back when he injured it in early June.
“I don’t think he’s 100% with his knee," Roberts said on Monday. "But as far as his swing mechanics, where he’s at, he’s on balance, he’s 100% in the box.”
In his last three starts -- two of which came after the knee issue flared up -- Ohtani has allowed 11 runs (nine earned) in 18 2/3 innings. In his first 10 starts of the season, Ohtani had held opponents to seven runs (five earned) in 61 innings.
The recent lapse in performance was not a factor in the Dodgers' decision to give Ohtani extra rest.
"It’s just an overall workload thought," Roberts said.
The Dodgers will run a bullpen game on Wednesday. They shored up their 'pen on Tuesday by recalling right-hander Wyatt Mills from Triple-A Oklahoma City and designating for assignment righty Jonathan Hernández. Parting ways with Hernández also clears a 40-man roster spot for Evan Phillips' impending activation from the 60-day IL at some point during the next homestand.
For Thursday's opener at home against the Padres, Roki Sasaki will start on five days' rest, as he's already done five times this season. The rest of the rotation will remain on turn.