Shohei Ohtani of the LA Dodgers will sit out a game after a disappointing performance with four strikeouts in four at-bats.
Ohtani has been left out of the starting lineup for the home game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday.
In the previous day’s game against St. Louis, Ohtani struck out in all four of his plate appearances. After his final strikeout, he was seen shaking his right arm and grimacing.
Following the game, Manager Dave Roberts commented that this game was just the tip of the iceberg. Shohei hasn’t been himself for the past few weeks.
Ohtani has been unable to pitch since July 4, when he faced the San Diego Padres, due to left knee pain. He’s also been dealing with right bicep issues recently.
On August 9, he resumed pitching training, showing his determination to return as a two-way player. However, he’s struggled at the plate since then, hitting just .204 (19 hits in 93 at-bats) with a .704 On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS).
He’s also paused his pitching recently. Ohtani was scheduled to open against the Detroit Tigers on Monday but canceled due to not feeling 100%.
The Dodgers believe Ohtani’s hitting struggles are partly due to his preparation for returning to the mound, prompting them to give him a break.
On the bright side, he’s avoided the worst-case scenario of landing on the injured list.
Roberts stated that he needs to talk with Shohei and see how he feels after this rest. It’s not considering the injured list yet. Right now, it’s taking it day by day.
Despite recent struggles, Ohtani is still having an impressive season. As a batter, he’s hitting .279 with 30 home runs, 80 run batted ins (RBIs), 11 stolen bases, and a .906 OPS. On the mound, he boasts an 8-2 record with a 1.79 earned run average (ERA).