Shohei Ohtani struggled again this weekend at Oracle Park, going 1-for-9 with five strikeouts across two games against the San Francisco Giants, deepening concerns about his readiness for the postseason just days before the Dodgers’ regular-season finale.
Ohtani’s only hit of the weekend came Saturday on a ground ball that slipped under the glove of Giants infielder Brett Harris, a play that could have been scored an error. In his most recent at-bat, he didn’t even swing at a pitch while on deck.
The Dodgers rested other regulars Saturday, sitting Freddie Freeman entirely and limiting starter Blake Snell to four innings in a 4-3 win. Ohtani is still expected to play Sunday in the season finale, though questions are mounting about whether the Dodgers should be managing his workload more cautiously with the playoffs approaching.
Ohtani is coming off a 15-day stint on the injured list and has now followed two encouraging games at Dodger Stadium with two rough outings in San Francisco. Manager Dave Roberts said he doesn’t believe the issue is physical.
“I don’t see any wincing,” Roberts said. “I thought there was just more chase today. I don’t know if he’s trying to get hits, find his swing, getting a little overanxious.”
Roberts also raised the possibility that Ohtani is simply rusty after more than two weeks away from game action. During Saturday’s game, Ohtani challenged a first-pitch strike call in his second at-bat; the Automated Ball-Strike System confirmed home plate umpire Nick Mahrley’s original call that Matt Wilkinson’s changeup was a strike.
Ohtani is still expected to serve as designated hitter when the Dodgers open the National League Division Series on Oct. 3, and his mere presence in the lineup carries weight — the San Diego Padres pitched around him cautiously earlier in the week. But if Los Angeles advances past the first round, his performance in San Francisco raises real questions about what the team does next.
With five days between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs, Roberts said the priority will be protecting Ohtani’s health rather than fixing his swing.
“Just manage his workload,” Roberts said. “I know Shohei is good about managing his work. He’s not going to overswing. He’s very well aware of what it’s going to take. I’m not too concerned about that.”
The Dodgers have other players carrying the offense. Mookie Betts has kept producing, Andy Pages has looked sharp since returning from injury, and Teoscar Hernandez and Kyle Tucker have shown flashes of life. Kiké Hernández hit a ninth-inning home run Saturday that accounted for the winning run.
Earlier in the week at Dodger Stadium, Ohtani’s power looked diminished — more warning-track than over-the-fence — but he reached base four times in 10 plate appearances. Before the Giants series began, Roberts said he’d “take this version of Shohei all the way through October and on every result.” Whether that version shows up again remains to be seen.
