Dodgers Called Out for 'Catering' to Shohei Ohtani

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Dodgers Called Out for 'Catering' to Shohei Ohtani

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By Matt Levine | Last updated May 8, 2026 4:30 PM ET

Shohei Ohtani has seen his two-way abilities be cut down ever so slightly over his last four starts, with the Los Angeles Dodgers only allowing him to pitch in three of them.

Los Angeles has made the decision to sit Ohtani from the lineup in an attempt to keep him fresher throughout the long season.

Ohtani is currently going through his first fully healthy season since 2023, and the Dodgers want to make sure that his workload isn't too much. The Dodgers have goals of winning another World Series this season, and in order to make that happen, they will need a healthy two-way Ohtani.

But Ohtani has also has a goal to win the Cy Young award in the National League this season, and the Dodgers want to help him make it a reality. So, the move to sit him from the lineup during his starts should give him more focus on the mound, pushing him closer to the goal. So far, that appears to be working.

However, not everyone around baseball thinks this is a good idea. MLB analyst Steve Phillips called out the Dodgers for "catering" to Ohtani regarding his Cy Young desire — even if the Cy Young consideration has nothing to do with them keeping him out of the lineup.

"Why are we catering to a guy that wants to win an award?" Phillips said on MLB Network. "So you're not gonna have him hit on a day, aren't you a better team when he hits? ... Like who cares about the award?"

Who is the more likely NL Cy Young winner: Shohei Ohtani or Mason Miller?@Joelsherman1 and @TheMayorsOffice share their thoughts. pic.twitter.com/S5KmvmXwJ4
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) May 4, 2026

This decision from Los Angeles has been a fine line with Ohtani, and the two-way star has even pushed back on it a little bit. Ohtani's bat hasn't performed at the same level as it normally has this year, and the Dodgers have been trying to figure out ways to help him.

But his performance on the mound has earned him a place in the Cy Young conversation, even if some don't believe he will win due to a limited amount of innings pitched. This has been a major talking point around Ohtani's bid for the award, and it could come back to bite him.

"I just think at some point, the innings have to matter for that award," MLB analyst Joel Sherman said.

On the season, Ohtani has thrown 37 innings over six starts, posting an ERA of 0.97 overall. In comparison, his teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto has thrown 43.2 innings over seven starts. The current league leader in the National League is Sandy Alcantara with 51.2 innings.

If Ohtani wants to be seriously in the conversation for Cy Young at the end of the year, not only will he need to keep up the dominance on the mound, but innings will be a factor. Los Angeles will work with him the best that it can to help him complete the goal, but at the end of the day, going after a World Series is more important than the individual accomplishment.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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