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Dodgers Facing Difficult Shohei Ohtani Reality Amid Slump

When the Dodgers agreed to give Japanese star Shohei Ohtani a $700 million windfall contract two years ago, the thinking was that, in addition to the sizable deferrals, the team might also be getting a potential bargain because Ohtani is the big leagues’ lone two-way player, an excellent pitcher in addition to a top-notch slugger.

But in 2024, as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery and remained off the mound, Ohtani showed that his bat alone was worth what the Dodgers paid him. He won the MVP award, and hit .310, leading the league in on-base percentage (.390), slugging (.646), home runs (54) and RBIs (130).

He got off to a good start this year, too, batting .300 as of June 16, with a .396 on-base percentage and a .643 slugging mark. But that was also the day he made his first start as a Dodger, going just one inning as the team wanted to ease him back onto the mound.


Shohei Ohtani in a Slump

Since that day, Ohtani has slowly begun to lengthen his starting stints. But the more he has pitched, the more Ohtani’s performance at the plate has plummeted. In fact, he has been mired in a month-long slump, his worst as a member of the Dodgers.

In his last 24 games, Ohtani has batted just .195, with a .340 on-base percentage and .483 slugging percentage.

Everyone is allowed a slump, of course, but it is just such an odd thing to see from Ohtani in Dodger blue. And the fact that the slump coincided with his return to the mound has raised concerns that Ohtani’s push to pitch is hurting him at the plate.

In looking at second-half issues for the Dodgers, now that the All-Star break is behind us, the Los Angeles Times wondered if the team is playing with fire by getting Ohtani back on the mound.


Dodgers Could Make Tough Decision

As reporter Jack Harris wrote: “Ohtani’s bat has cooled since resuming his two-way role. And the full extent of the physical toll being imposed on the 31-year-old superstar is still not yet entirely clear, prompting the Dodgers to be very deliberate in slowly, methodically increasing his workload.

“It’s difficult to imagine, barring any unforeseen setbacks, Ohtani not being part of the pitching plan in October given how electric he has looked thus far. But will it be as a glorified three- or four-inning opener? Or in a traditional starting role in which he is asked to work into the sixth or the seventh? That could depend on the state of the rest of the Dodgers’ staff, how Ohtani performs at the plate over the season’s second half, and how his body holds up to a challenge he has never before attempted with a team competing for a playoff spot.”

Indeed, there are salient points there. For one thing, Ohtani has been brilliant in his five outings, going 9.0 innings with one run allowed, five hits and two walks given up, and 10 strikeouts to his credit. And the Dodgers have been smacked with injuries in both the rotation and the bullpen.

But it’s worth noting, too, that Ohtani has excelled at the plate and on the mound for six seasons before coming to the Dodgers–except that he did so for the Angels, a team that had no playoff hopes. Ohtani is putting excessive pressure on himself as both a pitcher and a hitter, and is his performance with the bat flags, the Dodgers will have to decide whether it’s worth having him pitch.

 

 

 

 

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