The Los Angeles Dodgers made a huge call back in August, and honestly, it looks like they really messed up trying to get Shohei Ohtani back on the mound. This wasn’t some minor hiccup, either, it likely cost them a dominant hitter when they needed him most.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Ohtani’s Offensive Fall
Listen, in the first half of the season, Ohtani was a beast on the rubber, making 14 starts with a ridiculous 1.76 ERA. He was consistently going at least six innings, proving he was legitimately one of the best pitchers in baseball. But then came the All-Star Break, and things got shaky. He got a lubricating joint injection in his knee and was dealing with biceps discomfort. Yet, even with those issues, he was still the frontrunner for National League MVP at the end of July. His bat was still electric, rocking a .944 OPS from the start of July all the way to August 7th. He was absolutely the star everyone expected.
Then, August 8th hit. That’s when the Dodgers started him on a throwing progression, trying to get him back pitching again. And what happened? His OPS fell off a cliff. From August 8th on, Ohtani’s OPS plummeted to a meager .666. It’s not a coincidence, is it? The Dodgers eventually realized their mistake, decided he shouldn’t pitch again, and put him on the injured list when his injuries kept bothering him.
The Mistake That Cost Them An Elite Hitter
Honestly, the Dodgers never should have tried to get Ohtani back on the mound. The thing is, they would have made the postseason anyway, even without him pitching. He didn’t pitch down the stretch, so it wasn’t about the rotation slot. The real issue? Trying to rush him back pitching put extra strain on him, stopping him from properly healing, and that probably caused his offensive slump. Think about it, they already had a phenomenal rotation set for October with Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Blake Snell. They didn’t need Ohtani in the rotation. By pushing him, they straight up cost themselves an elite hitter.
Ohtani himself didn’t blame his injuries for the slump, but it was clear as day something was holding him back. That slump starting the moment he began throwing again? You can’t ignore that. What they should have done was just give him some time on the injured list when those injuries first popped up. Hindsight is 20/20, sure, but Ohtani wasn’t much help offensively down the stretch. They could have managed without him for a few weeks in August and potentially had a dominant version of him in October. Instead, they got a shell of his usual self. What a wasted opportunity.
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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