Shohei Ohtani is OUT of the Dodgers lineup again, just one day after making his highly anticipated return. This is seriously alarming, folks. The guy missed four straight games, starting with the series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals last Thursday, then sat out the entire Washington Nationals series. He finally got back in for Monday’s opener against the Cincinnati Reds, and now, he’s benched for Tuesday’s game against the same team. What is even happening out there?
The Two-Way Grind Is Taking Its Toll
It’s no secret Ohtani’s been battling some serious soreness in his left knee and bicep, and it all stems from his insane workload as a two-way player. He kicked off the season pitching as a starter and crushing it daily as a designated hitter. But by early July, his body clearly started screaming for a break, forcing him to pause his pitching. He himself attributed the knee issue to the hundreds of times he lands on his left leg during his pitching delivery every single week. That bicep? Pure throwing volume. He hasn’t completely stopped pitching work; he’s been doing stuff in the background while batting every day, but his return to the mound has been canceled multiple times. You’ve gotta wonder how much more his body can take.
That Bat Just Isn’t It Right Now
And it’s not just the pitching that’s been affected. His hitting has taken a brutal hit. We’re talking 6-for-last-52 at the plate. SIX for fifty-two! His slugging numbers are nowhere near what we expect from him. Even in his one-game return on Monday, he went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and a walk. His swing looks totally out of whack, lacking that extension and rotation he usually has, meaning he just can’t square the ball up. This isn’t the Ohtani we all know. His status as a hitter is absolutely up in the air now. You know the Dodgers are weighing their options hard: either an injured list stint to give him full rest, or more time on the bench to try and fix that swing while he’s dealing with these limitations. It’s a tough call, but they gotta figure something out because right now, this is not good.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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