HOUSTON -- For the second time in the past week, Shohei Ohtani will step to the mound looking to anchor a Dodgers rotation currently navigating a taxing stretch of the schedule. After the Dodgers opened their series against the Astros with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound in an 8-3 victory on Monday, the focus shifts to Ohtani, who is scheduled to make his sixth start of the season on Tuesday night at Daikin Park.
However, despite earlier indications that Ohtani would remain in the lineup as the designated hitter for Tuesday's start, manager Dave Roberts adjusted the plan following Monday’s game. Citing Ohtani's body language and the heavy toll of his dual-role workload, Roberts confirmed that Ohtani will focus solely on pitching Tuesday evening -- marking the second consecutive start, and third this season, in which he will not hit while on the mound.
"Tomorrow, he is just going to pitch," Roberts said postgame. "I just decided that [by] just kind of watching him [and his body language], just giving him the opportunity to focus on the pitching [and] rest his body. I think it’s best for him.”
Ohtani enters the matchup following a performance against the Miami Marlins last Tuesday, where he limited the opponent to one earned run over six innings with nine strikeouts. Despite battling command issues in that outing, Ohtani maintained a 0.60 ERA through 30 innings this season. His dominant start to the year was recognized early Monday when Major League Baseball named him the National League Pitcher of the Month for April, marking the first time in his career he has received the pitching honor.
The start in Houston presents a unique set of circumstances. While the Astros' lineup remains productive -- currently ranking near the top of the American League in OPS -- their pitching staff has been thinned by significant injuries. This vulnerability in the Houston rotation arrives as the Dodgers seemingly snapped out of their offensive funk in Monday's win.
Ohtani, who is in the midst of an 0-for-17 skid at the plate, took on-field batting practice Monday afternoon, a departure from his usual cage-only routine. Roberts noted he was pleasantly surprised to see Ohtani on the field.
"I think it's a good thing, I do," Roberts said. "Obviously, he's got his own routine that he's in the cage and he's consistent with that. But to kind of see the flight of the ball -- a lot of times that's why hitters try to get out on the field. So most of the times when he does this, it works."
Roberts acknowledged that balancing a mechanical reset with a heavy pitching workload is a significant challenge, characterizing the decision on whether Ohtani will hit as a "start-by-start, redirect situation."
"I think regardless, it's still a big toll," Roberts said. "We've certainly enjoyed the fruits of him doing [both jobs], which he will continue to at times. But I just felt that in my mind, just kind of seeing how it's playing, I think it's best for him."
The Dodgers are leaning heavily on Ohtani to provide length and preserve a bullpen that has averaged more than four innings of work per game over the last 14 days. With the offense showing signs of returning to what Roberts describes as its "true self" on Monday, the focus Tuesday will be on whether Ohtani can maintain his elite pace on the mound while getting a necessary mental and physical break from the batter's box.