Shohei Ohtani
Breakdown
Performance
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April 16, 2026
Strikes out 10 in win
Ohtani (2-0) allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out 10 over six innings to earn the win Wednesday over the Mets.
Analysis
Ohtani didn't hit Wednesday, as he is still dealing with some residual effects of a hit-by-pitch from Monday's game. Whatever issue is there didn't impact his pitching, as he continues be nearly unhittable this season. The lone run against him came on MJ Melendez's ground-rule double in the fifth inning. Across three starts (18 innings), Ohtani has a 0.50 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 18:6 K:BB. His next pitching start is tentatively projected to be at San Francisco next week, but Ohtani should be able to get back into the lineup as a hitter before then.
April 15, 2026
Pitching but not batting Wednesday
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani will start on the mound against the Mets on Wednesday but will not serve as the team's designated hitter, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.
Analysis
The decision to have Ohtani out of the lineup was tied to when he was hit by a David Peterson pitch during Monday's game against New York, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Ohtani has gone 0-for-7 with one run scored over his last two outings and will have the opportunity to focus solely on pitching during Wednesday's contest. Dalton Rushing will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter and bat seventh while Kyle Tucker moves up to the leadoff spot.
April 13, 2026
Another leadoff homer in loss
Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks in Sunday's loss to the Rangers.
Analysis
After blasting a leadoff homer Saturday, Ohtani did it again Sunday, cranking Jacob deGrom's first-pitch fastball over the right-field wall. After going homerless through his first six games, Ohtani has launched five over his past nine contests and has recorded five multi-hit efforts during that span. The two-way star is off to a strong start at the plate overall, posting a .996 OPS through 73 plate appearances in 2026.
April 12, 2026
Leads off win with homer
Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a 6-3 victory versus Texas on Saturday.
Analysis
After the Rangers' Brandon Nimmo led off the game with a homer, Ohtani returned the favor with a long ball of his own leading off the Dodgers' half of the first inning. The two-way star didn't go deep until his seventh game this season, but he's now homered four times over his past eight games. Ohtani has yet to steal a base this yet, but he's otherwise been quite productive, slashing .283/.412/.528 with the four long balls, nine RBI, eight runs and 11 walks through 14 games as a hitter while having yet to allow an earned run across 12 innings spanning two starts on the mound.