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 open their series against the Astros with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Monday, the focus shifts to Ohtani, who is scheduled to make his sixth start of the season on Tuesday night at Daikin Park.
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' own offense looks to snap a historic power drought; the team has gone six straight games without a home run, their longest such streak since 2014.
To address a recent 0-for-14 slump at the plate, Ohtani took on-field batting practice Monday afternoon, a departure from his usual cage-only routine. Manager Dave 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 also confirmed Monday that Ohtani will remain in the lineup as the designated hitter for Tuesday's start, unlike his last outing where he focused solely on pitching. While acknowledging that balancing a mechanical reset with a heavy pitching workload is a significant challenge, Roberts expressed confidence in the team's ability to navigate the demand.
"I do think that we're going to be able to manage it, navigate it. It’s doable, [but] the bottom line is that there's no other alternative. He's going to DH a lot; he's going to pitch a lot," Roberts said. "When he’s not really in sync with his mechanics offensively, most hitters work extra to get their swing back. To be willing to take on that extra workload is difficult at times, so now how best we preserve him and keep him strong and healthy is the question."
The Dodgers are leaning heavily on Ohtani and Yamamoto to provide length and preserve a bullpen that has seen heavy usage over the last 14 days. Whether Ohtani can spark the offense while maintaining his elite pace on the mound will also remain a focus when he takes the ball Tuesday evening.