Dodgers’ Dave Roberts reveals Shohei Ohtani plan vs. Giants amid hitting slump

There seems to be a course the Los Angeles Dodgers want Shohei Ohtani to take this season. And it’s not about batting every game. Manager Dave Roberts revealed the plan for Ohtani against the Giants amid the superstar’s somewhat alarming hitting slump.

His woes will cost him two games’ worth of at-bats, according to a post on X by Fabian Ardaya.

“Dave Roberts said Shohei Ohtani won’t hit either Wednesday (his start date on the mound) or Thursday as he continues to scuffle at the plate.”

Think about this for a moment. The Dodgers have slipped into second place in the NL West, heading into Tuesday’s games. But Ohtani is struggling so much, they’re sitting him down twice.

Dodgers trying to course correct with star Shohei Ohtani

It’s hard to imagine Ohtani struggling at the plate. He has been so good and consistent since arriving in the major leagues. This is definitely out of character for him.

Ohtani has just four hits in his last 33 at-bats. And his OPS, at .792, sits at the lowest this deep into a season since 2022.

And it’s not just bad luck. Just 48 of his 102 batted balls have been hit 95 mph or harder, according to The Athletic.

“I don’t know if it’s a mechanical thing with Shohei,” Roberts said. “But there’s a lot of popups, fly balls to the left fielder. Where, when he’s right, those are doubles and homers. When he’s not slugging, you can tell he’s not right.”

And Ohtani is taking it hard.

“It’s kind of his burden in the sense of the expectations for him,” Roberts said.

It’s baseball, and Ohtani should eventually get things back on track. Or is it possible the soon-to-be 32-year-old two-way player is beginning to decline?

After back-to-back years of 50-plus homers, Ohtani is on pace for a paltry 24 this season. And after 232 RBIs over the last two years, he’s on pace for just 64 this season.

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