Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani takes batting practice on May 11, 2026, at Dodger Stadium. (©Jayne Kamin-Oncea/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS)
Every professional player has batting slumps during their baseball careers, and Shohei Ohtani has struggled of late at the plate.
The two-time reigning National League MVP is batting .150 in May (6-for-40) with 11 strikeouts.
Ohtani's 2026 MLB season batting average has dropped to .240. He owns a .280 average in 1,057 games in nine MLB seasons.
But there may be indications that he's breaking out of his slump.
Ohtani whacked a third-inning solo home run, a blast to left-center, against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday, May 12. It was his first homer since April 26, and only his second round-tripper in 24 games.
In the Los Angeles Dodgers' 6-2 loss to the Giants, he went 2-for-4 with a walk, only his second multi-hit game of the month.
From Ohtani's perspective, there were positive signs at the plate in that game.
He pointed to his final at-bat, when he sharply grounded out to second to end the game.
"My last at-bat as a hitter yesterday was really good," Ohtani said, according to ESPN. "So I want to continue that momentum whenever I get to hit again."
Great Expectations for Fan Favorite
Ohtani played a starring role in leading the Dodgers to consecutive World Series titles in 2024 and '25. Naturally, there are great expectations for Ohtani this year, too. After all, he hit 54 homers in 2024 and slugged 55 the next year.
His success as a two-way player, the only current athlete handling regular pitching and batting duties in MLB, is well chronicled.
Although he's struggled as a designated hitter in recent weeks, the Iwate Prefecture native is having a stellar season as a pitcher.
In his latest start, on Wednesday, May 13, Ohtani tossed seven scoreless innings, holding the Giants to four hits (all singles). He fanned eight in LA's 4-0 victory, lowering his ERA to an MLB-best 0.82 as the Dodgers snapped a four-game losing streak.
Only Mexican lefty Fernando Valenzuela had a lower ERA (0.29) among Dodgers pitchers after making seven starts in a season. Valenzuela had his great season-opening stretch in 1981.
In seven starts this season, Ohtani has allowed four earned runs and 25 hits in 44 innings, walking 11 and striking out 50.
A Short Break from Hitting Duties
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the team's dugout boss since 2016, has effectively handled egos and the club's collective talent for more than a decade. Exhibit A: late-inning defensive replacements in the 2025 World Series.
Deciding when to give a player time off, or juggling the starting lineup are constantly on Roberts' mind.
Taking the full scope of the 162-game season into account, while recognizing that Ohtani exerts a ton of energy as the leadoff hitter and as a starting pitcher, Roberts made a sensible decision this week.
The manager gave the superstar a two-day break from DH duties, starting with Wednesday's game. Roberts said he hasn't opted against using Ohtani as a pinch hitter on Thursday.
"It might just be a good thing to take a little bit of a load off of his plate offensively," Roberts said on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, according to The Associated Press. "I just can't take for granted what's on his plate and so I'm trying to be sensitive."
As manager, Roberts said he needs to take a proactive role in giving Ohtani proper rest.
"He's always going to want to do more," Roberts was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. "[And] he has that sense of responsibility to his teammates that he wants to be out there in both ways. I've learned that I have to be proactive and take it out of his hands."
There are telltale signs when Ohtani needed a break, according to Roberts, who was born in Okinawa Prefecture.
"When the quality of at-bats starts to go down consistently, I think that's a sign that there needs to be a break because you're just not able to stay within your game plan, and then the chase starts to spike," Roberts told reporters.
Ohtani Eager to Contribute to the Team
In performing his dual roles as DH and starting pitcher, Shohei Ohtani always appears fired up to deliver game-changing moments.
For example, a double to ignite a rally in the middle innings, or a go-ahead home run late in a game.
Or when he's on the pitcher's mound, working his way out of a jam to preserve LA's lead.
Ohtani's competitive mindset has helped him thrive on the field throughout his career, starting in Nippon Professional Baseball. And he maintains a consistent goal: to be a great player.
"[The] ideal situation is to be great on both sides of the ball," Ohtani said, according to The Athletic. "But how I look at it is if I'm not contributing offensively, then I know I can contribute on the pitching side of things, and vice versa."
Every player and every team experiences highs and lows during the long MLB season.
Knowing that there will be slumps as well as hot streaks helps players keep things in perspective.
Just ask Ohtani.
"I've felt pretty good on the mound so far. Overall, I've had good results this year, but the feeling can change from game to game," Ohtani was quoted as saying by Kyodo News, adding, "Just like hitting, it's hard to stay consistent."
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- SPORTS SHORTS | Shohei Ohtani Expresses Gratitude to Media for Selecting Him as MVP
Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.]
