Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Joins Kiké Hernandez in LA Franchise History

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is set to make history yet again, as he joins teammate Kike Hernandez in an exclusive club.

Ohtani is the probable pitcher for Sunday's series decider against the Washington Nationals, which will make him the second Dodger to hit 10 home runs in a season where he pitched on two separate occasions.

Only one player in Dodgers history has hit 10+ HR in a season where he pitched at least twice:

2024 Enrique Hernandez: 12 HR, 4 games pitched

…for now.

Shohei Ohtani will join the list today when he makes his second app this season
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 22, 2025

The reigning NL MVP made his pitching debut for the Dodgers against the San Diego Padres on Monday, where he threw a 28-pitch inning, allowing one run as the opener. The Dodgers won the game in the end, with Ohtani driving in a run of his own to even up the game at one in the bottom of the third inning.

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Ohtani reached 10 home runs on May 6, and currently leads the National League with 25 as he makes a charge for his third consecutive MVP award. He also leads the NL in slugging percentage (.609), OPS (.996), OPS+ (178) and total bases (184) while leading MLB with 73 runs scored. If the season were to end today, it would be the third straight year in which he led his respective league in all of those categories.

He has struggled at the plate as of late, however, as he is just 2-for19 in his last five games. He, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts went a combined 1-for-12 in Saturday's loss.

While his return to pitching wasn't quite what Dodger fans had hoped for, Ohtani has proven that he is an elite pitcher and even showed flashes of his former self in the outing. He is a career 3.02 ERA pitcher and averages 11.34 strikeouts per nine innings throughout his career. In his appearance with the Padres, he may not have struck out a batter but his fastball velocity was up to par, as he easily reached the 100 mph he threw before his injury.

Comparing Ohtani's track records against the Padres and Nationals shows he was far more successful on the mound against the latter. The Padres ripped the right-hander up in his only previous start against them, where he allowed five runs in five innings. Ohtani has only ever made one start against Washington before he came to the Dodgers, though he pitched seven shutout innings against the club, allowing just one hit in a win in 2023.

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The Dodgers will hope he can replicate the results from his last start against the Nats as they look to win their fourth series in a row and remain at the top of the NL West. Ohtani will throw the first pitch at 1:10 p.m. PT.

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