Still Sore After Hit by Pitch, Shohei Ohtani 'Pitches Only' for First Time in 5 Years
Due to lingering soreness from a hit-by-pitch, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pitched but was kept out of the batting lineup, marking his first 'pitch-only' start in 5 years.
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- 📰 Published: April 16, 2026 at 12:15
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(Central News Agency, Los Angeles, 15th, General Foreign Dispatch) Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani took the mound as a starting pitcher for the MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers tonight, but because he was still feeling sore after being hit by a pitch two days ago, he was not placed in the batting lineup.
According to the Associated Press, this is the first time the "two-way" Ohtani has started as a pitcher without being in the batting lineup since May 28, 2021, when he played for the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani was hit on the right shoulder by a pitch thrown by New York Mets pitcher David Peterson on the 13th. He yelled at the time but stayed on the field to continue playing.
Manager Dave Roberts said before the game today: "If it weren't for that hit-by-pitch, he would have been both the designated hitter and pitcher tonight. But I do think that being able to just go out and pitch and focus on pitching is good for him physically and mentally. Hopefully, we are just in a minor period of fatigue and can overcome it."
Roberts said Ohtani is gradually improving, but the medical team and coaching staff felt it would be better to let him rest from batting in the final game of this series, even though Ohtani was initially surprised when he heard the decision.
"Because I've never asked him to just pitch and not hit, I think he understands that I am making the decision that is best for the player himself, for him, and for the team."
After taking the hit-by-pitch that day, Ohtani went hitless in 7 at-bats.
Yesterday, he drew an intentional walk in the 8th inning, extending his career-best on-base streak to 48 games. This is the 4th longest in Dodgers franchise history.
Roberts expects Ohtani to resume his two-way role in his next start, although Roberts also mentioned that on certain nights when Ohtani pitches in the future, they will consider resting him from hitting again. (Translator: Cheng Shih-yun) 1150416
According to the Associated Press, this is the first time the "two-way" Ohtani has started as a pitcher without being in the batting lineup since May 28, 2021, when he played for the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani was hit on the right shoulder by a pitch thrown by New York Mets pitcher David Peterson on the 13th. He yelled at the time but stayed on the field to continue playing.
Manager Dave Roberts said before the game today: "If it weren't for that hit-by-pitch, he would have been both the designated hitter and pitcher tonight. But I do think that being able to just go out and pitch and focus on pitching is good for him physically and mentally. Hopefully, we are just in a minor period of fatigue and can overcome it."
Roberts said Ohtani is gradually improving, but the medical team and coaching staff felt it would be better to let him rest from batting in the final game of this series, even though Ohtani was initially surprised when he heard the decision.
"Because I've never asked him to just pitch and not hit, I think he understands that I am making the decision that is best for the player himself, for him, and for the team."
After taking the hit-by-pitch that day, Ohtani went hitless in 7 at-bats.
Yesterday, he drew an intentional walk in the 8th inning, extending his career-best on-base streak to 48 games. This is the 4th longest in Dodgers franchise history.
Roberts expects Ohtani to resume his two-way role in his next start, although Roberts also mentioned that on certain nights when Ohtani pitches in the future, they will consider resting him from hitting again. (Translator: Cheng Shih-yun) 1150416