PHILADELPHIA — The Dodgers have paused Shohei Ohtani’s work as a pitcher but it’s really his hitting they are trying to protect.
“It’s heavily weighted,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the influence of Ohtani’s value as a hitter on the decisions made about his pitching. “That’s why we feel that, whether it’s one week, two weeks, three weeks – pushing him back – as long as he’s taking his five at-bats, given our lineup and what he brings to our offense every day, it’s a big deal. That’s certainly weighted, yeah.”
Ohtani’s value to the Dodgers is greater as a hitter than a pitcher, Roberts acknowledged.
“Yeah, I think so,” Roberts said. “Certainly if you look at our roster and the depth that we have with the pitching – yeah I would say that.”
The four-time league MVP has said the knee pain that led to him receiving an injection, skipping the All-Star Game and now dropping out of the starting rotation indefinitely affects him pitching but not hitting. Nonetheless, he went into Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies with just eight hits in his previous 36 at-bats (.222).
“I get the question. I don’t think that’s the case,” Roberts said when asked if he thought the knee might actually be affecting Ohtani’s swing. “I would argue that if it was the right knee, potentially, because that’s kind of – you’re turning on that knee, hitting off the front side. But with the left knee, I still see the intent there.
“I don’t think that the (Cristopher) Sánchez at-bats are certainly a good representation of him (0 for 4 with two strikeouts in Monday’s loss). And really, not too long ago, we were talking about how well he was swinging the bat. So he’s had a couple rough ones, and he’s been dealing with this knee … I don’t think that’s the cause. I don’t.”
Roberts said Ohtani is expected to throw a bullpen session this weekend to see how his knee feels in the pitching motion. But there is still no target date for him to make his next pitching start.
FIRST HIT
Catcher Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. was able to get the ball from his first major-league hit on Sunday at Yankee Stadium. And he has big plans for it.
The ball will go on display in his home alongside the lineup card from his first major-league start (July 5 against the San Diego Padres) and a catcher’s glove given to him and signed by longtime St. Louis Cardinals star Yadier Molina (complete with the Gold Glove logo that goes to winners of that award). Molina was Alfonzo’s manager in winter ball and a hero (along with Alfonzo’s father, another former major-league catcher).
Alfonzo’s first hit was another bright spot in difficult times for Alfonzo, whose sister and stepmother are among the 5,000-plus who died in the earthquakes that hit Venezuela last month.
“The first thing I said, as soon as I saw the ball going through, ‘Thanks, God, for this,’” Alfonzo said. “Really special moment doing it at Yankee Stadium because this is … my grandmother’s favorite team.”
Alfonzo has gained Roberts’ trust behind the plate even if his offense has been limited.
“I played with his father, and his father was a good baseball guy,” said Roberts, who played with Alfonzo Sr. in San Francisco in 2008. “He was raised to be a catcher. So I think he just has feel. There’s a confidence that he has behind the plate, in himself.
“For me, the fingers (pitch-calling), the feel for the game, the relationship with the pitchers, I really wasn’t too concerned about it. Even in spring training, a brief little snippet, sample, he assimilated really well for a guy that’s never been in camp, so I felt good about that.”
ROSTER MOVE
The Dodgers swapped out bullpen arms, adding left-hander Charlie Barnes and sending right-hander Landon Knack back to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Knack pitched the last two innings of Monday’s loss.
Barnes was designated for assignment after pitching seven innings against the A’s earlier this month and wound up re-signing with the Dodgers on a minor-league contract. In order to add him back to the 40-man roster, they moved catcher Will Smith to the 60-day injured list.
Smith has been out since June 5 with an inflamed disc in his neck and is currently shut down from baseball activity after receiving a second injection to treat the injury.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (LHP Eric Lauer, 4-5, 4.81 ERA) at Phillies (RHP Aaron Nola,3-7, 5.68 ERA), Wednesday, 3:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM