Even the mighty Shohei Ohtani can feel impatient. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has gone 11 consecutive games without a home run, and manager Dave Roberts is cautioning against forcing the issue.
“If you’re a truly threatening hitter, pitchers won’t give you easy pitches to hit,” Roberts said. “You can’t try to force things.”
Ohtani took an unusual outdoor batting practice before the Dodgers’ 9-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants on April 12. He sent several balls into the outfield seats, even clearing the roof of the right-field pavilion. MLB.com recalled that it resembled his “game of life” performance in Game 4 of last year’s National League Championship Series. But in the actual game, Ohtani couldn’t lift the ball, going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and three groundouts to the right side.
The concern is that this early-season slump is dragging on. Ohtani hasn’t hit a home run since March 26, and over his last 111 plate appearances, he has only one homer. His season line stands at a .233 batting average, six home runs, 16 RBIs, and an OPS of .767. In his last 17 games, he’s hitting just .185 with 12 hits in 65 at-bats, only four of them for extra bases.
The Dodgers’ struggles extend beyond Ohtani. MLB.com noted that his slump is more noticeable because he leads off. Since March 21, Los Angeles has been held to four runs or fewer in 14 of 19 games, losing 11 times.
Roberts acknowledged Ohtani’s frustration. “I understand how he feels,” the manager said, “but if you’re a truly dangerous hitter, pitchers won’t challenge you. You have to take what they give you.”
Outdoor batting practice is rare for Ohtani. MLB.com pointed out that he last did it during Game 4 of the NLCS and again before the World Series. The practice allows him to track the ball’s trajectory and potentially find his rhythm. He has already done it three times this season, but the results haven’t translated to games. Roberts noted, “The intent was good, especially the home runs to center field. But that didn’t carry over into the game.”
The Dodgers have no plans to adjust the lineup for now. However, Roberts said Ohtani might not bat on days he starts as a pitcher, or he could get a full day off on Thursday. “We’ll give him time to reset,” Roberts added.
