Dodgers Don't Plan on Allowing Shohei Ohtani to Pitch Deeper Into Games Anytime Soon

Aug 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after pitching in the fourth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts doesn't have any plans to keep two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on the mound for longer than five innings, as he believes the Dodgers will be fine with what he is offering.

Ohtani had his longest, and perhaps most impressive, outing of the season on Wednesday, pitching four innings and striking out eight batters while only allowing one run.

“We don’t need him to,” Roberts said. “I think that it’s possible. I’m not saying it’s unlikely. The five-inning threshold is something that we feel can get you through a game and use relievers (for the rest of the game). So you’re still weighing the cost of getting him more beyond that, right? So I think that the five-inning threshold, we’re very comfortable with. Now going forward, we’ll see if that changes. But I think for sure for the next few turns, I don’t see him getting beyond five.”

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Ohtani made a return to pitching this season after strictly serving as the designated hitter in 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he has been great on the mound so far. He's pitched 19 innings and has a 2.37 ERA with 25 strikeouts, and has pitched further into the game with every start.

He has clearly retained his ability to pitch despite his injuries and is having a great year, even by his standards. His numbers this year have dropped his career ERA to 2.98, and his 2.37 mark is the second-lowest in his career, behind his 2022 campaign where he placed fourth in Cy Young voting.

The Dodgers went on to lose after Ohtani's start on Wednesday, marking the fourth time the Dodgers have lost this season after he pitches. He has been fantastic so far, however if the Dodgers continually fail to provide him run support, they'll continue to drop games they should be winning.

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The Dodgers still sit atop the NL West, however the San Diego Padres have gained significant ground over the last month. They're now just two games back, and are a real threat to the Dodgers. The teams play against each other in two series before the end of the month, so the Dodgers will need to clean up their act before the potential division-deciding face off.

Before then, the Dodgers will begin a series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday at 7:10 p.m. PT.

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.