Shohei Ohtani could be sitting out his third straight game as the Dodgers’ designated hitter, a first for him since joining the team. This is a big deal, especially since getting their superstar right for later in the season is priority one. So who’s stepping up while Ohtani is sidelined, not batting due to rest or earlier pitching duties?
Ohtani’s Production vs. The DH Crew
Ohtani, their undisputed biggest puzzle piece and best hitter, has been absolutely tearing it up at DH. We’re talking a .279 average, a .382 on-base, and a .526 slugging, plus a monstrous 30 home runs in his 128 starts. That’s elite. But here’s the wild part: the eight different players who’ve covered the other 13 starts at DH, not to mention the late-game subs, they’ve actually held their own in a small sample size. Collectively, in 64 plate appearances, they’ve put up a .276/.344/.534 slash line, blasted 3 home runs, and smacked 6 doubles. Yeah, it’s not Ohtani numbers, but for a bunch of fill-ins, that’s some serious production, keeping things from totally falling apart. Who knew they had that kind of depth ready to roll?
Who’s Getting Their Swings In
So who are these guys stepping up? When facing southpaws recently, right-handed Alex Call started at DH, with left-handed Dalton Rushing coming in to pinch-hit. Rushing has played in all four games since being activated Tuesday, but he’s hitless in four at-bats, with three strikeouts and one hit by pitch. He did get three DH starts earlier this season though. The full list of fill-ins includes:
* Dalton Rushing: 3 starts, 16 PAs, 2-for-16, a double, a home run, 4 RBI.
* Alex Call: 2 starts, 10 PAs, 2-for-9, 2 doubles, a walk.
* Teoscar Hernández: 2 starts, 8 PAs, a scorching 4-for-7, a home run, 2 RBI, a walk.
* Will Smith: 2 starts, 8 PAs, 2-for-6, a double, a home run, an RBI, 2 walks.
* Miguel Rojas: 1 start, 5 PAs, 3-for-5, 2 doubles, an RBI.
Ryan Ward (1 start, 5 PAs, 0-for-3, 2 walks), Santiago Espinal (1 start, 5 PAs, 2-for-5, 2 RBI), and Andy Pages (1 start, 4 PAs, 1-for-4, RBI) also got a start each. Tommy Edman, Chuckie Robinson, and Ben Rortvedt chipped in one plate appearance each. That’s a lot of different dudes taking swings!
It’s definitely an interesting situation to watch as the Dodgers figure out their lineup without Ohtani’s bat every single night. Tonight, they’re back at Dodger Stadium against the Nationals, first pitch 6:10 p.m. TV on SportsNet LA. It’ll be key to see if this collective DH effort can keep churning out offense, even if Ohtani’s absence looms large.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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