Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Disagrees With Dave Roberts Over Off Days

Shohei Ohtani's workload has been a massive topic of discussion for the Dodgers this season.

May 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) waits next to manager Dave Roberts (30) for his turn to bat during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

One of the bigger storylines around the Los Angeles Dodgers this season has been the team trying to manage the workload of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.

The 2026 season is the first that Ohtani has been fully healthy since 2023, and the Dodgers are looking to keep things that way throughout the year.

This has included sitting Ohtani out from the lineup during games that he pitches in, allowing him to fully focus on pitching. Ohtani's bat hasn't gotten off to a great start this season, and the Dodgers have been working with him to get it going.

The team has believed that fatigue could be the issue for the early struggles, so they have given Ohtani extra time off from the lineup during the year. Manager Dave Roberts believes that the days off have helped Ohtani get back on track.

“I think it’s been a big benefit,” Roberts said. “I think he’s happier, feeling better and obviously no one knows how it’s going to play out on the field, but I felt just seeing him that the results would be better this series.”

However, Ohtani has been vocal about not wanting to diminish his two-way abilities this year. Ohtani seemed to push back a little on the narrative that the days off helped him get back on track.

“I actually felt pretty good the day before I pitched, hitting-wise,” Ohtani said. “I think that helped more than the off days.”

So far, Ohtani has hit .265 with seven home runs and 24 runs batted in, while posting an OPS of .850. His bat has started to pick up over the last few games, and Roberts has attributed this to the days off given recently.

“I think it was fatigue,” Roberts said of Ohtani's struggles. “Fatigue potentially leads to injury, so getting ahead of the fatigue piece of it, I think is really important.”

While Ohtani may not want to admit it, having the extra days off could have played into his hitting coming back around. Even as great as he is, fatigue can be a real problem for players, and with the workload that Ohtani has taken on, this can happen.

Going forward, it will probably be a fight to get Ohtani to take days off, but that is partly due to him being a major competitor. But in the best interest of both himself and the team overall, Ohtani will listen to what the coaching staff has to say.

Los Angeles is looking to go after a three-peat this season, and having Ohtani fully healthy for the entire season will be key.

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