The Dodgers just dropped a heartbreaker to the Cubs at Wrigley, 7-6, but the bigger story? Shohei Ohtani, the crown jewel of L.A., has hit a rare cold streak at the plate. Why hasn’t he looked like himself lately at the plate? Worry not, manager Dave Roberts has something to say on that.
Ever since Shohei Ohtani returned from his new dad duties, he has been gradually getting into the groove after having a strong start this season. Ohtani, who is supposed to make the difference in the games, has recently struggled with a lackluster offensive performance. Dave Roberts feels that Ohtani has been a little too aggressive after his return, which is the reason behind this slump.
Does that even make sense?
Knowing that Shohei Ohtani is the biggest star of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the expectations from him are sky-high. But, in the last 21 at-bats, Ohtani has managed to slash .261/.358/.498 with a .848 OPS, which is nowhere near the performance of a player of his caliber. Ohtani had the opportunity to help the Dodgers win Wednesday night with runners on second and third base and two down. He went 2-0 but failed to capitalize when chasing a fastball; instead, he ended up tying and going ahead in runs.
Manager Dave Roberts, explaining this incident, said, “He had a fastball to hit and just got too big with the swing. Where all you need is a base hit right there. I think a little bit about this series, and even that last game in Texas when he came back, there was a little over-aggressiveness. The swing is a little bit longer than it typically is.”
Ohtani’s struggles throughout the season have been attributed by Dave Roberts to his overly aggressive behavior at the plate. He does not have answers on why Ohtani hasn’t been taking walks, despite having a chance, rather than getting himself out. Still, if we go by his stats, there’s not much to worry about at the moment.
Ohtani’s batting average of .359, which was significantly higher than his 2025 batting average of .261, is evident when comparing his performance this year with the first 23 games of 2024. His .419 OBP was higher as well, along with the .630 SLG; however, he posted only four home runs in the previous year, compared to six this year. So, despite getting off to a slow start this season, his stats are just fine.
Not to forget that Shohei Ohtani has become a father recently, so these kinds of changes or a slump in performance were expected. And it’s no surprise to see him making a comeback every time he has faced a setback in his career.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ superstar skipping the bullpen sessions against the Cubs has led to speculations surrounding him.
Shohei Ohtani skipping the bullpen session has the Dodgers coach talking about it
After coming back from his fatherly duties, Shohei Ohtani has yet to regain his actual form. Although his presence on the team remains a crucial aspect of winning the game, Ohtani’s absence from the bullpen sessions has raised some eyebrows. However, pitching coach Mark Prior clarified the reason, saying, “Ohtani didn’t throw at all while home on paternity leave last weekend, so we wanted him to play catch a couple of times this week and build up to getting back on the mound.”
The main intention has been to keep him safe and healthy. Due to this inconsistency in pitching, he has been holding back from pitching. The pitching coach has, however, stated that he will resume bullpen sessions on Saturday, which is encouraging for both the team and the supporters. Although their rotation has been quite good, Shohei Ohtani’s return to the bullpen will give a major boost to the team.
Not to forget that a key player of the Dodgers’ rotation, Blake Snell, has been sidelined due to discomfort in his shoulder. While his return is still uncertain, Shohei Ohtani’s return to the bullpen can negate that gap and provide Dave Roberts’ pitching staff a major push in the upcoming games.
What, according to you, might Shohei Ohtani focus on to get back into form? Let us know in the comments.
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