Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Next start scheduled April 8
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Wednesday that Ohtahni is scheduled to make his next start in the team's series finale against the Blue Jays on Wednesday, April 8, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
The Dodgers plan on deploying a six-man rotation during the upcoming six-game road trip by mixing in a start for southpaw Justin Wrobleski, which means the next time Ohtani takes the mound is during next week's World Series rematch. Ohtani dominated in his pitching debut against the Guardians on Tuesday, when he allowed one hit and three walks while striking out six across six scoreless inning to earn the win. Per Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com, Ohtani holds the longest active regular-season scoreless pitching streak at 22.2 innings, dating back to the 2025 campaign.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Smooth in season pitching debut
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Ohtani (1-0) completed six scoreless innings in a win against Cleveland on Tuesday, allowing one hit and issuing three walks while striking out six batters. He also went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks as a batter.
The Dodgers opted to have Ohtani be the last of the team's five pitchers in the season-opening rotation to make a start, but he looked every bit an ace against the Guardians. The two-way star retired the first seven batters he faced and yielded just one hit (a Rhys Hoskins double) overall. Ohtani did put some additional runners on base with three walks and a hit-by-pitch, but he threw 54 of 87 pitches for strikes, so his control wasn't particularly shaky. In addition to the strong outing on the mound, he reached base three times, extending his regular-season on-base streak to 36 games dating back to last year. That's the longest active streak in the majors, as is his current regular-season 22.2-inning scoreless streak as a pitcher, per Sarah Langs of MLB.com. He hasn't hit a home run or stolen a base yet, but Ohtani continues to show why he's arguably baseball's -- and fantasy's -- most unique player.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Posts 11 punchouts in final tuneup
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Ohtani completed four innings in an exhibition start against the Angels on Tuesday, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks while striking out 11 batters. He also went 1-for-2 as a hitter.
Ohtani looked dominant for most of the outing, racking up 17 whiffs among his 86 pitches and getting 11 of his 12 outs via strikeout. The only negative about his punchout spree is that it drove up his pitch count -- per Jack Harris of the California Post, the Dodgers intended for the two-way star to get into the sixth inning, but he ended up completing only four frames. Ohtani may have run out of steam a bit in the fifth, as he gave up three straight hits -- all of which were singles -- before being lifted, and all three runners eventually came around to score. Regardless, Ohtani showcased his overpowering arsenal in the outing, and it's a great sign for his readiness as a pitcher for the start of the season that he was able to approach 90 pitches. He's slated to make his first start as a pitcher Tuesday against the Guardians at Dodger Stadium.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Superb in spring pitching debut
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Ohtani tossed 4.1 scoreless innings in a Cactus League start against the Giants on Wednesday, allowing one hit and issuing two walks while striking out four batters.
This was Ohtani's first outing of the Cactus League slate, as he spent much of spring with Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic. The two-way star didn't pitch during the tournament, but he continued to work on his throwing progression with bullpen and live batting-practice sessions. Ohtani certainly didn't seem to be very far behind in his ramp-up Wednesday -- he threw 61 pitches (34 strikes) and topped out at 99.9 mph on his fastball, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. While Ohtani will likely have some slight innings limitations early in the campaign, he's slated to be part of the Dodgers' rotation from the get-go and may need only a few starts to ramp up to a full workload.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Taking mound Wednesday
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Manager Dave Roberts said that Ohtani will pitch in Wednesday's Cactus League game versus the Giants and added that the two-way star is lined up for the Freeway Series versus the Angels between March 22 and 24, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Ohtani is expected to pitch 3-to-4 innings in his first start during the regular season as a pitcher. Wednesday's Cactus League game will be the first time the four-time MVP will have pitched in a spring training game since 2023 when he was with the Angels. The right-hander did not pitch for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic, but he has been participating in bullpen and live batting-practice sessions in his progression.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: May have pitch limit to begin '26
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Manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Ohtani will throw a bullpen session at Dodgers camp later this week and is expected to be ready to cover at least 3-to-4 innings in his first start of the season as a pitcher, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
After leaving the Dodgers in late February to join Team Japan for the World Baseball Classic, Ohtani has returned to Arizona and is continuing to prepare for a two-way role ahead of Opening Day. Roberts said that Ohtani will make his return to the spring lineup as a designated hitter in the coming days, and after his bullpen session, the Dodgers will decide whether the four-time MVP makes another Cactus League start as a pitcher or continues to build up through a minor-league game at camp. Even though he served exclusively as a DH during his stay with Team Japan, Ohtani was able to continue with his spring throwing progression. He most recently tossed a four-inning, 59-pitch live batting practice session last Thursday, and Roberts seems optimistic that the right-hander can at least work that long in his first start of the campaign, which could fall during the second or third game of the Dodgers' season-opening series versus the Diamondbacks. Ideally for Ohtani's fantasy managers, he'll be efficient enough to cover five innings in his first start, which would give him a chance at qualifying for a win.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Throws 59 pitches in live BP
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Ohtani threw a four-inning, 59-pitch live batting-practice session against Team Japan during the team's workout Thursday, David Adler of MLB.com reports.
Ohtani isn't expected to pitch during the World Baseball Classic, but he continues to get in work on the mound while with Japan for the tournament. Per Adler, Ohtani faced 18 hitters Thursday and struck out seven of them over his four simulated innings. Though Ohtani's time away from the Dodgers -- and concurrent break from pitching in games -- may impact his pitch counts to a small degree in the early stages of the regular season, the two-way star is fully expected to open the campaign in the Dodgers' rotation.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: May be limited as pitcher early on
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Ohtani may not be fully stretched out as a pitcher by Opening Day, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
Ohtani is fully expected to be part of Los Angeles' pitching rotation while fulfilling his usual DH duties from the get-go, but it's unclear how stretched out he'll be as a pitcher due to his participation with Samurai Japan during the World Baseball Classic, as he's slated to work exclusively as a hitter during that tournament. Should the two-way star not be ready to handle a full pitching workload right away, it's very possible that he'll have his pitch count capped until he's fully ramped up. In that scenario, Chen suggests that Justin Wrobleski or another long reliever could work in a piggyback role with Ohtani during the early part of the campaign.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Staying in leadoff spot
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Wednesday that Ohtani will remain the team's leadoff hitter during the 2026 season, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
For the first time since his final season with the Angels in 2023, Ohtani is preparing for a full season of pitching, but that won't affect the Dodgers' approach with him as their everyday designated hitter. After slugging a career-high 55 home runs while making 148 of his 158 starts out of the leadoff spot during the 2025 regular season, the four-time MVP will continue to set the table for Los Angeles once again in 2026. Per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Ohtani is expected to start at DH in the Dodgers' first two Cactus League games this weekend to get some competitive at-bats under his belt before he joins Team Japan in advance of the World Baseball Classic. Roberts has already said that Ohtani won't pitch for Japan in the WBC, but the two-way phenom will likely continue to build up through bullpen and live batting practice sessions throughout the spring to ensure that he'll be part of the Dodgers' Opening Day rotation.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Prepping for full season in two-way role
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Ohtani indicated Saturday that he'll be ready to take on a full two-way role at the outset of the 2026 regular season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Ohtani began last year continuing to rehab from September 2023 Tommy John surgery and didn't pitch in a major-league game until mid-June. He was managed carefully upon his return to the mound, as he finished the regular season with a modest 47 innings over 14 starts. The superstar was very effective as a hurler, though, posting a 2.87 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 62:9 K:BB during those appearances. The leash was loosened in the postseason, as Ohtani completed six frames in each of his first three playoff outings and then started Game 7 of the World Series on three days of rest. After getting through the summer and fall with no arm issues, Ohtani is now set to slot into the Dodgers' rotation from the outset of the 2026 campaign. There will likely still be some careful management of Ohtani as a pitcher -- manager Dave Roberts stated Saturday that the two-way star won't pitch for Japan in the World Baseball Classic, and he's expected to continue to be part of a six-man rotation with Los Angeles -- but Roberts also said that Ohtani will be treated as a normal pitcher on days when he takes the mound.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Wins fourth MVP
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Ohtani was named the National League Most Valuable Player on Thursday.
Ohtani won the award unanimously for the third straight season and for the fourth time overall, with two wins in both the NL and AL. Though he wasn't as active on the basepaths with 20 stolen bases after stealing 59 bags in 2024, Ohtani still hit an exceptional 55 home runs with a 1.014 OPS across 725 plate appearances. He also returned to the mound after recovering from Tommy John surgery and recorded a 2.87 ERA across 47 innings.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Goes 2.1 frames in Game 7 of WS
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Ohtani didn't factor into the decision against the Blue Jays in Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three batters over 2.1 innings. He also went 2-for-5 with a walk as a batter.
Ohtani struggled throughout his time on the mound, but he managed to get through two scoreless innings despite allowing four baserunners over that span. He wasn't able to escape in the third, however, as Bo Bichette tagged him for a three-run homer in that frame, leading to his exit. Ohtani did manage to reach base three times as a hitter, and over the seven-game series he batted .333 with three home runs, three doubles, five RBI, six runs and nine walks. As a pitcher, he was less effective, yielding seven earned runs while posting a 9:3 K:BB across 8.1 frames.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Tapped for Game 7 start
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Ohtani will start Game 7 of the World Series against the Blue Jays on Saturday.
Ohtani will be pitching on short rest after making it through six innings during a loss in Game 4 on Tuesday. The 31-year-old owns a 3.50 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 25 strikeouts through 18 innings so far in the postseason and will be opposed by Max Scherzer in Saturday's winner-take-all contest.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Saddled with Game 4 loss
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Ohtani took the loss in Game 4 of the World Series against the Blue Jays on Tuesday after allowing four earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out six batters over six-plus innings. He also went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts as a batter.
After getting through the first two innings without giving up a run, Ohtani allowed a single to Nathan Lukes in the third before serving up a home run to Vladimir Guerrero in the ensuing at-bat. The two-way superstar kept the game close for the next several innings but was pulled after allowing the first two men he faced in the seventh to reach base -- both of whom eventually came around to score. Ohtani is likely now done making starts on the mound for the Dodgers this postseason, but he will likely be available out of the bullpen for the remainder of the series and also remains one of the most dynamic bats in Los Angeles' lineup.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Blasts two home runs in Game 3 win
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Ohtani went 4-for-4 with two solo home runs, two doubles, five walks, three RBI and three runs scored in Monday's 6-5 win in 18 innings in Game 3 of the World Series against the Blue Jays.
Ohtani smoked a ground-rule double in his first at-bat of the game and only continued to wreak havoc from there on out. He hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third, followed by an RBI double in the fifth and a game-tying solo homer in the seventh. His only blemish took place when he got thrown out attempting to steal second base in the bottom of the ninth as the potential winning run, popping off the bag after initially sliding in safe. The Blue Jays had evidently seen enough, as the slugger was then walked in his final five at-bats of the matchup, making him the first player in MLB postseason history to reach base nine times in the same game. Ohtani is now 6-for-12 with three home runs, five RBI, six walks and five runs scored through the first three games of the World Series and is slated to toe the rubber for Game 4 on Tuesday.
Ohtani picked up the win against the Brewers on Friday in Game 4 of the NLCS, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out 10 batters across six-plus shutout innings. He also went 3-for-3 with three home runs and a walk as a batter.
In what could be the greatest single-game performance in MLB postseason history, Ohtani's dominance as both a pitcher and hitter was on full display. He struck out the side in the top of the first before giving himself a 1-0 lead with a 446-foot leadoff home run off Jose Quintana in the bottom of the frame. The two-way star then slugged a 469-foot shot off Chad Patrick in the fourth and completed the hat trick with a seventh-inning blast against Trevor Megill that traveled a mere 427 feet. After rattling off four consecutive victories over the Brewers, Ohtani and the Dodgers will now have a full week to rest up before facing either the Blue Jays or Mariners in what will be Los Angeles' second consecutive World Series appearance.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Strikes out nine in Game 1 win
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Ohtani picked up the win against the Phillies on Saturday, allowing three earned runs on three hits and one walk while striking out nine batters across six innings.
Making his first career postseason start, Ohtani set the Phillies down in order in the bottom of the first inning before getting into trouble in the second. Ohtani walked Alec Bohm and gave up a single to Brandon Marsh before J.T. Realmuto belted a two-run triple. Harrison Bader added a sacrifice fly two batters later, and that was the extent of the damage. At the plate, Ohtani went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts and one walk. Ohtani would likely be available to make his next start Thursday in Game 4 if the series gets to that point, though Tyler Glasnow was previously named as a starter for the series. Glasnow appeared out of the bullpen Saturday, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Powers Dodgers with two homers
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Ohtani went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI in Tuesday's win over the Reds in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series.
He opened the home half of the first inning with an absolute laser, turning a triple-digit fastball from Hunter Greene around at 117.7 mph off the bat. Ohtani later touched up reliever Connor Phillips for a long ball measured at 454 feet, the longest home run recorded by Statcast in Dodgers postseason history, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. The two-way phenom could make a start on the mound in Game 3 against Cincinnati, if necessary, or in Game 1 of the NLDS against Philadelphia.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Lined up for Game 3 start on mound
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Ohtani will be the Dodgers' starting pitcher for Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series versus the Reds, if necessary, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Blake Snell will get the ball in Game 1, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 2. If there is a Game 3, that start will go to Ohtani. The two-way superstar peaked on the mound at the right time, finishing with a 0.46 ERA and 27:4 K:BB over 19.2 innings covering his last four regular-season starts.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Breaks own Dodgers HR record
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Ohtani went 3-for-5 with a solo homer, a double and an additional run scored in Sunday's 6-1 victory over the Mariners.
The Japanese superstar broke his own Dodgers single-season homer mark with his 55th long ball. Ohtani cracked a 412-foot solo shot off Seattle southpaw Gabe Speier in the seventh to make history. The 31-year-old wraps another incredible regular season at the plate, slashing .282/.392/.623 with 20 steals, 146 runs scored and 102 RBI over 726 plate appearances.
