LOS ANGELES — For the first time in nearly three years, Shohei Ohtani stepped onto the pitcher’s mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday evening without also taking his place in the batting order as designated hitter.
The Japanese superstar was sidelined from hitting duties due to lingering discomfort from being struck by a pitch during Monday’s game against the New York Mets. Pitcher David Peterson’s throw hit Ohtani on the back of his right shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain, though he remained in the contest.
This marked the first occasion since May 28, 2021, while playing for the Los Angeles Angels, that Ohtani has been absent from the batting lineup during one of his pitching appearances.
“If it weren’t for the hit by pitch, he would’ve been DHing and pitching tonight,” manager Dave Roberts explained prior to the game. “But I do think that just to be able to pitch and focus on that will be a benefit for the mind and the body, and hopefully, we’re just in a little moment of fatigue and we can get past it.”
According to Roberts, Ohtani’s condition has shown steady improvement since Monday’s incident. However, the medical staff, coaching team, and Roberts agreed it would be wise to rest him from batting in the series conclusion, even though Ohtani was caught off guard by the choice.
“Because I’ve never asked him to pitch and not hit,” Roberts explained. “I think that he understands that I’m making a decision that’s best for the player, for him, and for the team.”
The star player has struggled offensively since the injury, going hitless in seven at-bats following the incident.
Despite his recent batting woes, Ohtani extended his remarkable on-base streak to 48 games after receiving an intentional walk during Tuesday’s eighth inning. This achievement ranks as the fourth-longest such streak in the franchise’s history.
Roberts anticipates Ohtani will resume both pitching and hitting responsibilities for his upcoming start, though he mentioned potentially considering similar rest periods for hitting on future pitching days.
“It’s got to make sense to not have your best hitter not in the lineup,” Roberts noted. “Then the question is when he does hit, on days that he pitches, where’s the best for him to hit in the order? I think there’s fair arguments to both, to moving him down a little bit, give him a breather, let him get into the game. But I’m not prepared to make that decision quite yet. But it is something that I’m mindful of it.”
Regarding his pitching performance, Ohtani saw his impressive 22⅔-inning scoreless streak end during last week’s game in Toronto. However, the right-handed pitcher has maintained an extraordinary run without allowing an earned run since August 27, 2025, against Cincinnati — spanning 28⅔ innings.
Last season marked Ohtani’s inaugural pitching campaign with the Dodgers, where he compiled a 1-1 record with a 2.87 ERA and recorded 62 strikeouts across 47 innings in 14 starts. His four-seam fastball reached a career-high average velocity of 98.4 mph during the season.
Ohtani’s current 48-game on-base streak represents a record for Japanese-born players, surpassing Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki’s previous mark of 43 consecutive games set in 2009.
Roberts confirmed that Ohtani would not be available for pinch-hitting duties against the Mets.
“You can tell Carlos Mendoza he’s an option, though,” he joked, referring to New York’s manager.
