Dave Roberts Didn't Consult Shohei Ohtani Before Omitting Him From Dodgers Lineup

For the second time this season, the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to omit Shohei Ohtani from the lineup on the day he was pitching.

The Dodgers have now done this twice in Ohtani's last three outings, a move that the team hopes will help him stay fresh throughout the year.

However, manager Dave Roberts didn't consult Ohtani before this decision was made. He opened up about the overall process, speaking about the trust that the two sides have in one another.

“I didn’t go through it with him, to be honest with you," Roberts said Tuesday of the decision. "No. 1, there’s certainly trust with the organization, with me, understanding that he’s smart in the sense of being able to look a little bit beyond just today. That takes a smart player to understand the nuances of it.

"His goal is to make every start and so with that, there has to be some compromise and some openness to kind of read and react. So far, I think we’re doing a nice job and he’s open to that.”

For what it's worth, Roberts said Ohtani "completely understood" the decision.

"For he and I, every decision I make with him or any of my players, they understand it’s for their benefit,” Roberts said. “He just kind of wants communication. I told him my decision and he was OK with it and moved on.”

Ohtani is off to an excellent start on the mound, posting an ERA of 0.60 over his first 30 innings of work. The right-handed pitcher set the goal of going after a Cy Young award before the year started, and if his performance continues, he should be in the conversation.

Shohei Ohtani (the pitcher) this season:

30 IP
17 H
2 ER
34 K

He has a 0.60 ERA. He's gone 6 innings in all 5 of his starts.

He's an ace. He's a National League Cy Young contender. pic.twitter.com/RFfpnR1laE
— Dodgers On SI (@DodgersOnSI) April 29, 2026

Having him only focus on pitching when he starts could be a way for the Dodgers to help him achieve his goal. Ohtani would only have one responsibility during his starts, which gives him more time to hone in on his skills.

While his pitching numbers have been great to start the year, his batting has been a little lower than usual. Ohtani has hit .273 with six home runs and 13 runs batted in, playing in 31 games for the Dodgers.

When asked about the decision not to hit while he pitches, Ohtani seemed open to the idea. But being the competitor that he is, he also would prefer to play his two-way role.

“I’m going to prepare the best I can with whatever the team expects is best for me and for the team,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton after Tuesday's game. “We’re only going to find out in the totality if it’s a plus or a minus. I think for players who want to do two-way and want to DH, they should get the option to do DH. But at the same time it’s hard to tell now. We’ll see how it goes at the end of the season.”

This has been a balancing act for the Dodgers with Ohtani, and it's something that will likely continue throughout the rest of the year. But Los Angeles has a goal of winning a third straight World Series, and in order to do that, Ohtani will need to be healthy for the whole season.

If the team can help him reach the goal of winning the Cy Young award as well, that would be the cherry on top of it all. But for now, the two sides will move forward in this decision together, and take everything day by day.

Add us as a preferred source on Google