LOS ANGELES — Since Shohei Ohtani returned to pitching, the Dodgers have frequently backed his starts up against off days, giving him a day to recover following his two-way efforts.
Not this week.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Sunday that Ohtani will stay on turn and make his next start on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins rather than Wednesday. The Dodgers are off Thursday.
Ohtani will be pitching on five days’ rest rather than his customary six (or more). He has made 18 regular-season pitching starts with the Dodgers over the past two years. Only two of them were on five days’ rest.
The decision was made following Tyler Glasnow’s start in San Francisco on Thursday, Roberts said. Glasnow threw 105 pitches over eight scoreless innings against the Giants and would have been starting on just four days’ rest if he had started again on Tuesday.
“Tyler pitched a lot,” Roberts said of Glasnow who has thrown 100 or more pitches in three of his past four starts. “That’s the thing. We don’t have to just be beholden to the off day (following an Ohtani start). We talked to Shohei. He feels good about going on Tuesday.”
Through four pitching starts this season, Ohtani has allowed just one earned run in 24 innings. But the return to full-time pitching seems to have come at a cost. Ohtani’s offense has been well below his usual standard. He took a .240 batting average and .801 OPS into Sunday’s game with no home runs since April 12 and just two hits in his past 19 at-bats.
ANOTHER DAY
Will Smith was given a second consecutive day off Sunday with a sore back. Roberts said the back-to-back off days were precautionary and there is no expectation that Smith will need more extensive time off.
“It’s one of those where he could play if needed. But we just thought it was smart to give him an extra day. I guess put him in the day-to-day category,” Roberts said.
‘My hope is he’s in there tomorrow. But Dalton (Rushing) going the way he’s going, it just only seems like downside to kind of push him (Smith) now.”
Sunday was Rushing’s ninth start at catcher this season. He took a .400 batting average and seven home runs into the game.
STARTING DEPTH
With Blake Snell, Gavin Stone and River Ryan unavailable, Justin Wrobleski has made the most of his opportunity in the starting rotation. But all three injured starters are making progress towards returning.
Snell started his rehab assignment with Class-A Ontario, throwing 32 pitches while facing eight batters on Wednesday. He is expected to make his next start for Ontario again this week.
Ryan started the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City but went on the Injured List with a hamstring injury after just two starts.
GM Brandon Gomes said the injury is not considered serious and Ryan has already resumed throwing.
‘“Somebody who is that talented, that young, coming off (Tommy John) surgery, we’re going to be prudent in the build-up and make sure we err on the side of caution rather than just ramping him back up to say, ‘Oh, River’s back at four innings and is an option.’ We’re just not gonna do that. So he’s progressing well coming off the hamstring tweak.”
Stone was on track to open the season in the Dodgers’ starting rotation but suffered a setback in his recovery from shoulder surgery this spring and was shut down from throwing. Gomes said Stone has resumed throwing bullpen sessions.
“Velocity is tracking well,” the GM said. “Glad to see Gavin back at it. We know how hard he’s worked over the last year-plus. So he’s feeling good and trending in the right direction.”
UP NEXT
Marlins (RHP Chris Paddack, 0-4, 6.38 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 2-2, 2.48 ERA), Monday, 7:15 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM