Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Could Be Out of Lineup on Tuesday vs Marlins

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani may be just a one-way star on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins.

Ohtani, who's scheduled to pitch the second game of the series on Tuesday night, may not hit in the game, according to manager Dave Roberts.

Roberts said he would "potentially" sit Ohtani from the lineup, allowing him to focus solely on pitching.

"It's up for consideration," Roberts said.

If Ohtani were to hit, Roberts said he would be the leadoff hitter, quelling any ideas of him potentially being dropped in the order on start days, at least for now.

Why Would Shohei Ohtani Not Hit on Tuesday?

Roberts had two reasons for the potential decision to sit Ohtani as a hitter.

Firstly, Ohtani is pitching on five days' rest, which is shorter than usual. The Dodgers are doing this to allow Tyler Glasnow to also pitch on five days' rest (instead of four). Glasnow is starting Wednesday's series finale.

Secondly, the Dodgers play a day game on Wednesday against the Marlins. Because of the quick turnaround, the Dodgers may not want Ohtani to both pitch and hit on Tuesday, and then hit again on Wednesday around 14 hours later.

It's also possible Ohtani is a two-way player on Tuesday and then out of the lineup altogether on Wednesday. The team is currently weighing all their options ahead of Tuesday's game.

Shohei Ohtani Finally Breaking Out of Slump

While Ohtani has been one of the best pitchers in baseball early this season — allowing just one earned run over 24 innings for a 0.38 ERA — he's gotten off to a slow start offensively, at least for his standards.

Entering Monday, Ohtani is slashing .262/.391/.485 with six home runs, 12 runs batted in and an OPS of .876. While those numbers are well above-average, Ohtani had a 1.014 OPS in 2025 and a 1.036 OPS in 2024.

Ohtani went 3-for-3 on Sunday, though, breaking an 11-game homer-less drought while also adding a double and a stolen base.

Shohei Ohtani's home run drought is over.

He hits a homer 109.8 mph off the bat and 382 feet to the opposite field.

It's his sixth homer of the year and the Dodgers are well on their way to winning another series.pic.twitter.com/WGL6yYamNw
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) April 26, 2026

Roberts liked what he saw from his leadoff hitter.

“Really good day for Shohei,” Roberts said after Sunday's game. “I think this whole series was good, getting on base, taking his walks. Then obviously the homer to the big part of the field today with the wind blowing in, and he doubled left on left. Sometimes the lefty gets you back on line, being a left-handed hitter. Sometimes that lefty gets you back where you need to be.”

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