Shohei Ohtani is on track to make history, but he needs to pick up his game. After being a pioneer in the exclusive 50-50 Club two years ago, he might be the first player to reach a 200-200 season—aiming for 200 strikeouts both as a pitcher and batter.
However, right now, he’s struggling at the plate.
When Ohtani performs well, he often masks the weaknesses of the Dodgers. But lately, his poor performance has made those flaws more pronounced.
The Dodgers have recently stumbled, losing five out of their last seven games. Ohtani, in that timeframe, has struck out 11 times, including three during a 4-3 defeat against the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. This loss marks the first time this season the team has fallen to second place in the National League West, trailing the San Diego Padres by half a game.
Ohtani noted that he tends to take a while to get going and is hopeful about improving offensively next month. Still, the Dodgers can’t afford to wait around.
It’s not just about him; the bullpen’s performance is also under scrutiny. The loss to the Cubs brought back memories of last season when the bullpen struggled without Edwin Diaz. In that game, three reliable relief pitchers combined to squander a four-run lead.
In the seventh inning, Alex Beshear replaced starter Emmett Sheehan, allowing a runner to score, which didn’t help the situation. Blake Treinen gave up a homer to Alex Bregman in the eighth inning and nearly allowed another run if not for a perfect throw from shortstop Hyesung Kim to cut down Ian Happ at the plate.
Then, Tanner Scott delivered a game-ending two-run homer to Dansby Swanson, who was batting ninth.
Scott accepted responsibility for his pitch, implying that he and the other relievers need to step up their game.
“We’ve got enough bullpen talent to win games,” he asserted.
Manager Dave Roberts still holds a positive outlook on the bullpen’s potential without Diaz but acknowledged he has to trust the players at his disposal.
“These are the players we have,” Roberts said.
While the issues might be temporary, the team can’t rely on luck for victories.
With Ohtani not performing well as a leadoff hitter, the Dodgers’ batting lineup has taken a hit. Although Will Smith’s three-run homer in the third inning provided some excitement, the team has struggled to find consistent scoring opportunities.
Recently, they lost two of three games against San Francisco, accumulating just four runs.
“There’s definitely a struggle,” Roberts admitted.
In an effort to boost performance, Roberts reshuffled the lineup, moving Kyle Tucker down and placing Freddie Freeman further behind Ohtani.
Freeman has not been great either, hitting just one time out of eight at-bats as the No. 2 batter.
Yet, everything could shift if Ohtani starts to find his rhythm again. Roberts believes it’s only a matter of time before Ohtani breaks out of this slump, preferring not to bench him just yet.
“We need to consider alternatives,” Roberts remarked. “But who else could be up there?”
He seems to want to stick with Ohtani, focusing on how to help him get back on track.
Roberts claimed to see signs of improvement in Ohtani even during games where he struck out three times.
“He showed more discipline against borderline pitches today,” Roberts said, possibly trying to convince himself as much as the fans.
If Ohtani doesn’t start hitting soon, the Dodgers might find themselves in a tough spot over the coming weeks.
