The Los Angeles Dodgers are pushing back Shohei Ohtani in the rotation, opting for Justin Wrobleski to start on Monday, April 6, in a matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays. The 2025 World Series rematch will see Wrobleski square off against Max Scherzer. Ohtani won’t pitch until the third game of the series.
The rotation news comes with a caveat, as the Dodgers are dealing with weather concerns in their matchup on Sunday, April 5, against the Washington Nationals. A postponement could shuffle the rotation again. “That’s the plan as of now,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “But we’ve got to see how [Sunday] plays out with weather.”
Ohtani made his first start of the season on Tuesday, March 31. He tossed six scoreless innings in a 4-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. An off-day on Thursday, April 2, lined up Ohtani to pitch again in the first game of the Toronto series. Los Angeles will instead insert Wrobleski into the rotation to give Ohtani more than a week of rest.
Los Angeles Dodgers News Update: Justin Wrobleski to Start Monday, Shohei Ohtani Pushed Back
Ohtani was his normal dominant self in his season debut on the mound. He ceded just one hit over six frames against Cleveland. Ohtani uncharacteristically had three walks, though none came around to score. The star righty maxed out at 4.1 innings and 86 pitches across a pair of Spring Training outings. He got up to 87 pitches in his outing versus the Guardians. An efficient effort allowed Ohtani to deliver a quality start.
Offseason shoulder surgery delayed Ohtani’s first pitching appearance in 2025. He didn’t get on the mound in a big-league game until June. Given that he was a crucial hitter in the Dodgers’ lineup, Ohtani couldn’t depart for a minor league rehab assignment to build up as a pitcher. Los Angeles had him grow his workload in the majors, starting with one-inning stints on the mound. Ohtani didn’t reach six innings until his final outing of the regular season. He then went six frames in his first three postseason appearances.
Wrobleski Gets a Shot After Poor Season Debut
Wrobleski’s 2026 campaign got off to an inauspicious start. He came in relief on Monday, March 30, against the Guardians. The 25-year-old lefty was tagged for three earned runs over four innings in a 4-2 loss. Wrobleski navigated a clean sixth inning, but ran into trouble in the seventh inning. The first three batters reached base on a trio of singles. Wrobleski nearly wriggled out of the jam after getting Chase DeLauter to line out and Jose Ramirez to fly out, but he walked Rhys Hoskins to push across a run. Daniel Schneemann followed with a double to drive in a pair.
The Dodgers have used Wrobleski in a variety of roles since his debut in 2024. He functioned largely as a starter as a rookie, covering 36.1 innings across eight appearances (six starts). Wrobleski scuffled to a 5.70 ERA. The lefty worked mostly as a reliever last year, coming out of the bullpen for 22 of his 24 outings.
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