Dodgers Superstar Shohei Ohtani Can Still Make Impact
· Yahoo Sports
The Los Angeles Dodgers have the best player on the planet in Shohei Ohtani. The 2026 baseball campaign started with lofty expectations. After all, he was entering the season fully healthy. It looked like this was the first season in several years that the four-time MVP was going back to being a two-way player in earnest. Of course, Los Angeles had parameters in place to try and make sure that baseball’s unicorn got enough rest. It worked for a while.
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A Promising Start
Ohtani handled the burden of his ability well the first three months of the season. It felt like he was his own version of Superman. He had eight wins and two losses in 14 starts. More impressive perhaps was the ERA, which was well below two. As if that wasn’t enough, the superstar was flirting with a batting average of .300, and by the middle of June he had more than 25 home runs. Not only did a fifth Most Valuable Player Award seem possible, but if the numbers kept trending in the right direction, so did a Cy Young Award. However, it wasn’t to be.
The Walking Wounded
The timeline isn’t publicly known, but sometime in the month of June, Ohtani’s knee started to flare up. It was not the first time in his career. He had a similar issue when he played for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Unfortunately, Ohtani exacerbated the issue while on the mound. As a result, the Dodgers tried to manage the injury by giving their star extra rest between starts. However, at the beginning of July, when Ohtani missed the All-Star Game in favor of rest, it was clear that he was hurting.
Oct 7, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out against the Atlanta Braves during the fourth inning in game four of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesA Downward Trend
Since the beginning of August, Ohtani is hitting below .200 with one home run. Inexplicably to most, he continued his bullpen sessions in an effort to get back on the mound. Meanwhile at the plate, Ohtani continued to struggle. His swing had no power because he was unable to drive off the back knee. It became critical mass when Ohtani winced in pain.
Not surprisingly, he landed on the 15-day IL. He returned with just five games left in the regular season, which gave him little time to knock off the rust, and it showed. The bad hitting approach bled into the Division Series. Ohtani was swinging at sliders in the dirt, causing Manager Dave Roberts to challenge his star player for better at-bats.
Dave Roberts on Shohei Ohtani: “It’s not what we all expect, what he expects from himself. But I do feel that just the talent, the care, it’s going to happen. So I think it’s just up to all of us to keep winning baseball games, and then at some point he’s going to come to life.”
— Matthew Moreno (@Matthew__Moreno) October 7, 2026
Can Ohtani Play Within His Limitations?
Ohtani responded in the final game of the division series by playing with more plate discipline. His swing produced line drives, and he refrained from fishing outside the zone. In fact, his approach paid dividends early. He was able to draw a lead-off walk, steal second, advance to third on an errant throw, and come home on a misplayed pop-up. He manufactured a run by himself, and erased an early Atlanta Braves lead.
Oct 7, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on from first base during the second inning against the Atlanta Braves in game four of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesThe Last Word
Ohtani himself doesn’t know what medical procedure, if any, he is going to need in the offseason. However, his manager is quite confident that his star player can still make an impact at the plate. Ohtani has had to take a lot on himself in the past. After all, he has proven over and over that he is the best player on the planet. However, with the Dodgers, he is one of a cast of stars. He doesn’t have to put the whole team on his back.
Even at partial capacity, Ohtani is still an intimidating force with a bat in his hand, because he is still strong enough to change the direction of a baseball in a hurry. He just needs to display the discipline to do it.
Main Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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