Shohei Ohtani Out of Dodgers Lineup For Second Consecutive Game

That remained the case Wednesday when he took the mound against the Giants. It appeared to pay dividends as the right-hander tossed seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts while allowing four hits against San Francisco's lineup.

Ohtani's stellar performance lowered his ERA to 0.82.

The 2026 season marks the first full campaign of Ohtani's two-way status in a Dodgers uniform. The full pitching workload has given manager Dave Roberts reason to keep Ohtani out of the lineup when he is starting on the mound.

“I think he appreciates it,” Roberts said. “It does matter, to some extent, but I do think that when I see him and how his body is responding and dragging a little bit, I think that most times it’s best to take it out of the player’s hands. I do think that we have a good enough relationship that he understands I’m doing this for him and the team.”

The Dodgers appear to be taking it a step further by giving Ohtani two days of rest from hitting.

Since 2021, Ohtani hasn't taken days off from hitting even when he is on the mound. However, this season has gone differently for the superstar.

Ohtani will be out of the Dodgers lineup Thursday as Roberts planned to give the two-way star two days off. He could, however, be available as a pinch-hitter in a close game.

The discourse continues surrounding how the Dodgers should manage Ohtani, baseball's best player. As he approaches his 32nd birthday, it's evident the right-hander is chasing a Cy Young award, one accolade he has yet to win throughout his already storied career.

The goal has come at somewhat of a cost as Ohtani hasn't looked like himself at the plate. The Dodgers' superstar is hitting .240 with a .797 OPS this season. He hasn't finished a season with an OPS lower than 1.000 since 2022.

Ohtani appears to be close to a breakthrough as he ended his home run drought Tuesday against the Giants, but it was only his second homer in the last 24 games.

The Dodgers have a rare gem in Ohtani and it will be interesting to witness the team's decisions surrounding their two-way star as the season progresses. For now, the Dodgers are giving Ohtani back-to-back days of rest from the lineup.