DETROIT — Sunday was supposed to be a day where Shohei Ohtani could shift the narrative surrounding his recent struggles.
There’s been a lot of chatter about his health after knee and biceps injuries disrupted his pitching schedule, leading to uncertainty. Plus, there’s the added pressure of his chances in the National League MVP race dimming, particularly after Pete Crow-Armstrong hit three home runs the previous day.
And to top it all off, Ohtani’s own underwhelming performance in recent weeks hasn’t helped matters; his difficulties at the plate seemed to mirror the Dodgers’ overall slump.
Unfortunately, the 32-year-old superstar didn’t deliver this time either. No spectacular swing, no electrifying moment—it didn’t quite convey the aura of a player who’s often considered the best in baseball.
While the Dodgers celebrated a solid 6–1 victory over the Detroit Tigers, Ohtani had a rough outing, going 0-for-5. This left him at a dismal 5-for-40 in his last ten games.
“Obviously,” said manager Dave Roberts, “we still got to get Shohei on track.”
Sunday’s game echoed the theme of Ohtani’s recent underperformance: poor pitch selection and an ineffective swing. He struck out multiple times, marking his 11th game with multiple strikeouts this month out of 27. Even when he made contact, three hard-hit balls just didn’t find their way out of the infield.
Consequently, his statistics aren’t looking as impressive: his batting average has dipped to .280, the lowest it’s been since late May. Although his .908 OPS still ranks among the top five in the majors, it would represent his worst performance in a season since 2022.
More crucially, Crow-Armstrong’s OPS has jumped to .944 after his standout game, putting him ahead of Ohtani now.
Comparing the two MVP candidates’ statistics reveals a widening gap: Ohtani’s slashing .280/.379/.529 with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs, while Crow-Armstrong stands at .282/.377/.567 with 36 home runs and 89 RBIs.
In terms of advanced metrics too, Crow-Armstrong outshines Ohtani in value, with a wins-above-replacement of 9.1 compared to Ohtani’s 6.9, largely thanks to his stellar performance as a center fielder.
Having earned three straight unanimous MVP awards, Ohtani has shifted from being the frontrunner this year to a secondary contender.
Ohtani was anticipated to make strides on Sunday, originally set to return to pitching for the first time since early July. However, nagging knee and biceps issues have thrown a wrench in those plans, and it’s unclear if he’ll even pitch this season.
For the Dodgers, the immediate concern is to rekindle his offensive momentum.
“Once we get him going,” Roberts noted, “[our offense is] going to be fun to watch.”
Throughout Ohtani’s return to a full-time two-way role, Roberts has tried to downplay the connection between Ohtani’s pitching preparations and his slump at the plate.
He indicated that Ohtani’s issues stem from common hitting flaws instead.
“Sometimes he’s taking good pitches, then expanding. Other times, I think the direction might be leaning too far to the pull side,” Roberts observed. “With Shohei, it’s a combination of factors.”
However, Ohtani’s focus on pitching could interfere with his hitting practice. Each moment spent on pitching drills cuts into the time he could spend refining his swing or enhancing his batting skills—areas where he’s capable of being exceptionally dangerous.
The team is aware of this trade-off and plans to evaluate his pitching commitments once they return to Los Angeles this week.
“Hopefully we can get home and get him in a better spot physically, mentally, whatever it is,” Roberts shared, adding that Ohtani is still not “100%” due to his various injuries.
“Everyone goes through these things,” he stated. “But we gotta get him going.”
As much as Ohtani’s MVP aspirations rely on this, so do the Dodgers’ chances this season. Because, regardless of whether he’s on the mound or not, their offense will always revolve around him.
