With the Dodgers in the midst of a 13-day stretch without a day off — and the club brass apparently deciding that a game against division rival San Diego takes priority over a getaway day in Sacramento — Los Angeles announced Tuesday that Shohei Ohtani’s next start on the mound is being delayed a couple of days.
Speaking with reporters before Tuesday night’s game against the host Athletics in their temporary home in California’s capital, Los Angeles, manager Dave Roberts said the decision was more about giving Ohtani extra rest between starts than concerns about his health.
“I think it’s mostly schedule-driven,” Roberts said. “We talked to Shohei, and he agreed to whatever we felt, knowing it’s best for him. So again, upside, downside — there’s no downside with him losing starts. Get more rest. No downside was the thought. That was the whole driver.”
Ohtani was scheduled to start the series finale in Sacramento on Wednesday but will instead pitch at home Friday in the second game of a four-game set against San Diego. The Padres began Tuesday in second place in the National League West — albeit 11 games behind the Dodgers.
Pushing his start back has an added benefit for the Dodgers in that his final start before the All-Star break would now by July 10 against Arizona — another home game against a division foe. The Diamondbacks opened Tuesday a game-and-a-half behind the Padres.
While Ohtani has not missed a start on the mound this season, his starts have typically been spread out relative to the typical schedule for a starter. He has also been dealing with some knee pain and a blister in recent starts, something Roberts did acknowledge played a role in the decision.
“I don’t think he’s 100 percent with his knee,” Roberts said on Monday. “But as far as his swing mechanics, where he’s at, he’s on balance, he’s 100 percent in the box.”
The eight days between starts will be a season high for Ohtani. He is 8-2 with a 1.58 ERA over 79 2/3 innings, but has a 2.93 ERA over his last five starts (30 2/3 innings).
The Dodgers are now expected to go with a bullpen game on Wednesday.
