Ohtani Back in Action as Dodgers Lose Series

The weekend kicked off with Shohei Ohtani out of the lineup and wrapped up with the Dodgers suffering a series loss for the first time in five weeks.

In contrast, Yoshinobu Yamamoto came close to pitching a no-hitter.

These three games against the White Sox at Lehto Field turned attention away from a possible turning point for the Dodgers.

Ohtani is back—not just physically, but also hitting like his former self.

Even though Sunday’s 6-4 loss to the White Sox snapped his three-game home run streak, Ohtani has managed to go deep four times in the last seven games and six times in the last 15.

He seems to have found his power swing again, something that had been missing from his otherwise stellar season.

This is usually around the time of year when Ohtani starts making pitches look like batting practice.

In his nine years in the majors, he’s hit 66 home runs in June—more than any other month.

While with the Angels, he tallied 13 homers in June 2021 and 15 in June 2023. During his debut year with the Dodgers in 2024, he also hit 12 that month.

Last season, his standout month was May, where he hit 15 home runs.

Ohtani’s hitting has improved just when the Dodgers needed additional firepower, especially since the bullpen has struggled recently, going 8-7 in their last 15 games.

When Ohtani’s bat is in action, the Dodgers had an impressive 11-3 record.

Despite dealing with knee issues, he hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. Ohtani had to exit a close game against Pittsburgh last Thursday due to swelling in his left knee and sat out the following game against the White Sox.

He returned on Saturday, and in his first at-bat, sent a fastball from White Sox starter Sean Burke deep into right field.

“I felt good this morning, so I decided to play today. It’s not bad,” Ohtani said to reporters afterward. He sounded optimistic, suggesting he could continue playing without concerns.

He mentioned that the knee swelling may have stemmed from a mechanical issue during his last start.

“It didn’t just happen out of nowhere,” he noted. “I can’t pinpoint it to just one play.” It seems to have been the result of his last pitching outing.

The White Sox were cautious after his early home run on Saturday.

In the ninth inning, when Ohtani had a chance to tie the game, closer Seranthony Dominguez chose to walk him four times, avoiding the strike zone completely.

That turned out to be the right strategy.

Andy Pages and Freddie Freeman both struck out, leading to a 6-4 win for the White Sox.

A similar tactic had occurred earlier in the game. With two outs and Ryan Ward on third, Ohtani received an intentional walk, which kept the Dodgers ahead by just 1-0.

Pages and Freeman are typically positioned alongside Ohtani, which means they’re crucial to ensuring he gets good pitches. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, both players had a rough week, with Pages going 5-for-28 and Freeman 5-for-23 during a six-game road stretch.

Ohtani has been drawing more walks lately, showcasing better plate discipline and getting on base over half the time in recent outings. He holds an impressive on-base percentage of .507 over the last 15 games.

And it’s not just walks; he’s hitting .407 during that stretch, raising his season OPS to .975, the best in the National League.

The Dodgers are keen to capitalize on this form. Ohtani has 14 home runs now, just two shy of team leader Max Muncy. Given his track record, that number could easily rise next month.