Now that the future regarding Shohei Ohtani and pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers again this season has been settled, he's going to turn his full-time attention to hitting.
Shohei Ohtani hasn't had the type of season that Los Angeles Dodgers fans have come to expect out of him. Whether it's excellence at the plate or excellence on the mound, Ohtani has been one of those rare players that comes along in the MLB world.
But Ohtani has not been in the lineup much lately, dealing with injuries. He did get back into the Dodgers' lineup on Monday night at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani has struggled at the plate this season and those continued. He went 0-for-3 with one walk and two strikeouts.
Los Angeles pulled off a 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night.
Ohtani answers pitching question
After the game, Ohtani was questioned by reporters about pitching again this season. Ohtani said, through his personal translator Will Ireton, that "he is focusing on hitting for the rest of 2026". Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic shared this information in a post on X.
Ohtani wraps up his 2026 MLB season pitching with an 8-2 record and a 1.79 ERA. He started 14 games for the Dodgers this season, recorded 95 strikeouts, and had a 0.95 WHIP.
As far as Ohtani as a hitter are concerned, he has a slash line of .277/.380/.902. This season, Ohtani has 30 home runs and 80 RBIs to go along with 11 stolen bases. But, in his last 30 games, he has a slash line of .231/.333/.444 with six home runs and 33 RBIs in that space of time alone.
Ohtani's bat has been impactful for Dodgers
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how impactful Ohtani has been to the Dodgers' organization. He plays with a respectful style toward the MLB world, while also being very careful in how he comes across to fans and others.
Yes, Ohtani has a very large contract with Los Angeles. It has been tough for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to not have an effective Ohtani available to play and pitch. And, of course, Ohtani's Dodgers teammates know what he brings to the table every single game.
Now that all of the speculation around whether Ohtani would pitch again this season has been put to rest by Ohtani himself, maybe he'll be able to focus on his offensive output. Getting an effective Ohtani at the plate right in time for the postseason can be a huge lift to the Dodgers' search for a third straight World Series championship.
Let's see how Ohtani can pull himself out of his slump at the plate for the Dodgers.
