Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts breaks down why Shohei Ohtani is chasing pitches and pressing at the plate as he battles to shed rust before the postseason begins.
Shohei Ohtani has struggled to rediscover his offensive rhythm since returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup Wednesday against the San Diego Padres.
The superstar dealt with left knee and right arm and biceps trouble before landing on the Injured List. In four games since returning, Ohtani is 4-for-18 (.222) with a double, an RBI and eight strikeouts.
Why Ohtani is struggling
Manager Dave Roberts believes the disappointing results could stem from Ohtani pressing to recover his swing before the postseason begins.
According to the Bleed Los Podcast, Roberts noticed Ohtani chasing more pitches Saturday. The manager questioned whether his desire to produce hits and find his swing had made him overly anxious at the plate.
Roberts remains satisfied with everything happening away from the games. He praised the work completed by Ohtani, the training staff and the Dodgers’ hitting coaches, saying the preparation has looked exactly as expected.
“Today I thought there was just more chase, and I don’t know if he’s trying to get hits, find his swing, getting a little overanxious,” Roberts said.
“Everything from Sho to the training staff, the hitting guys, the work has been great. Looks exactly like it’s supposed to look.”
The manager compared Ohtani’s situation with Blake Snell’s return to the mound. Roberts believes allowing both players to remove some rust during the final regular season games will leave them in a better position.
Ohtani can complete these remaining at-bats, rest and reset for one week before returning for Game 1 of the postseason.
“Getting these at-bats, that rust off now, to then reset for a week, to then go back in the same sense as what Blake’s doing," Roberts said. "That’s kind of where I’m at, and that’s everything I’m hearing from everyone.”
Is there an issue with Ohtani?
Roberts has not seen evidence that Ohtani’s recent injuries are causing his offensive problems. The slugger has not appeared to wince, and his bat speed remains at its expected level.
The Dodgers could have kept Ohtani inactive and hoped his performance immediately returned in the postseason. Instead, they decided that his healthy appearance justified giving him opportunities to recover his timing during games.
Roberts emphasized that Ohtani has received only approximately 12, 13 or 14 at-bats following a lengthy absence. Returning from that layoff and immediately producing is difficult.
“I don’t see any wincing. The bat speed is still everything that it’s supposed to be,” Roberts explained.
“There’s one thing to just say you could put him on ice and hope that the performance is there Game 1 of the postseason, or there’s another camp that says everything looks right and you’ve got to get him in.
“It’s still only, what is it, 12, 13 at-bats, 14 at-bats. So with a long layoff, that’s not easy either to come back and perform.”
The manager believes the struggles involve both timing and Ohtani’s urgency to generate results before the season ends.
A player who has missed considerable time naturally wants to swing, collect hits and accomplish something during the limited games remaining.
Roberts considers strike-zone discipline the first priority. If Ohtani does not swing at strikes, generating quality contact on pitches outside the zone becomes extremely difficult.
“When you haven’t played a lot, there’s something in you that wants to swing the bat, that wants to get hits, and knowing you don’t have a whole lot of time left in the season,” Roberts noted.
“I’m big on if you don’t swing at strikes, it’s hard to take a good swing when balls are out of the strike zone. So that’s number one for me.”
What’s next for Ohtani?
Despite the recent results, Ohtani is expected to remain near the top of the Dodgers lineup.
Roberts also confirmed that he will start Sunday’s regular season finale against the San Francisco Giants, although his appearance could be limited to two at-bats.
Ohtani’s power and bat speed remain intact, giving him the tools to regain his rhythm quickly. His challenge is trusting those abilities instead of attempting to force immediate production.
Patience has always strengthened his offensive approach. When Ohtani controls the strike zone, pitchers must either challenge his power or risk putting him on base.
The Dodgers need him to recognize hittable pitches, remain composed and allow his timing to return naturally. His physical condition appears sound. The remaining adjustment is at the plate.
