Inside The Dodgers

Dodgers Make Another Surprise Shohei Ohtani Pitching Announcement vs Orioles

J.P. Hoornstra|
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) jogs in from the outfield before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Sept. 2.
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) jogs in from the outfield before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Sept. 2. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Shohei Ohtani is listed as the Dodgers' pitcher for their series opener against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, starting in place of Tyler Glasnow.

No reason was given for the change.

Ohtani was a last-minute scratch Wednesday in Pittsburgh, when he was given extra rest to recover between starts. At the time, manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani would next pitch for the Dodgers on Monday in Los Angeles.

More news: Dodgers Announce Last-Minute Pitching Switch in Pittsburgh Affecting Shohei Ohtani

Now he'll start against the Orioles as the Dodgers look to rebound from a series sweep at the hands of the Pirates.

Ohtani is also the Dodgers' designated hitter Friday and will lead off against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer.

The excitement elicited by the return of Ohtani is tempered by concerns about Glasnow. An All-Star in 2024, the right-hander is 1-3 with a 3.41 ERA in a season limited to 14 starts because of injuries.

The 32-year-old missed all of May and June with right shoulder inflammation. Glasnow has made nine starts since returning. He's limited opponents to 32 hits and 21 walks in 50.2 innings while striking out 58 while posting a 3.02 ERA.

More news: There's a New 'Shohei Ohtani Rule' And All of Japan Will Have to Learn It

In his last start, Aug. 30 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Glasnow allowed four hits, three runs, did not walk a batter and struck out six over seven innings.

The Dodgers would love to have that version of Glasnow in their October rotation. For that to happen, however, he must be healthy first.

It's unclear whether Glasnow is dealing with a specific injury, whether the Dodgers simply preferred how Ohtani matched up against the Orioles' lineup to Glasnow, or if another factor is at play.

Ohtani last pitched Aug. 27, when he allowed one run in five innings in a victory against the Cincinnati Reds.

Since returning to pitching in June, Ohtani is 1-1 with a 4.18 ERA. He allowed nine runs in a span of two starts on the road in Denver and Anaheim on Aug. 13-20, and six runs in his other nine starts combined.

Pessimistically, it doesn't matter who the Dodgers put on the mound at this point. Their lineup has struggled to support whoever is toeing the rubber.

In being swept by the Pirates, the last-place team in the National League Central division, the Dodgers were an inning away from being shut out in back-to-back contests. In losing five of six games to Arizona and Pittsburgh, the Dodgers are averaging fewer than three runs per game.

Ohtani has his work cut out for him on both sides of the ball Friday.

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

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J.P. Hoornstra
J.P. HOORNSTRA

J.P. Hoornstra is an On SI Contributor. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time, published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.

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