"Manager Dave Roberts said over the weekend "my expectation is he will hit" on Wednesday, and reiterated before the first game against the Padres that it remained "my plan.""
"So far this season, Ohtani has only carried out his full two-way ability in three of seven pitching starts this season. The Dodgers have committed to maintaining flexibility under an overarching plan of preserving his health. That included not having Ohtani in their lineup for back-to-back games last week, a first in his Dodgers career."
""I just feel like he's more energized," Roberts said on Monday. "I think the couple days off did his body and mind some good." Whether or not there's a relation, Ohtani came out of the rest days swinging a hot bat."
""I just think that the workload he's doing right now, the six innings, the seven innings, is much more than he did last year," Roberts noted. "So it's kind of re-adjusting the managing of the bat and preparation. He's calibrating.""
The Los Angeles Dodgers plan to have Shohei Ohtani hit in addition to pitching when he starts against the San Diego Padres in the series finale at Petco Park. Manager Dave Roberts said the expectation is that Ohtani will hit and that it remains the plan. If it happens, it will be Ohtani’s first time hitting and pitching in the same game since April 22 and will end a streak of three pitching-only starts. The Dodgers have kept lineup flexibility to preserve his health, including avoiding back-to-back games with Ohtani in the lineup last week. Roberts said rest days left Ohtani more energized and that his current workload requires recalibrating batting preparation. Ohtani has posted strong pitching numbers this season and is viewed as a contender for major awards.
Read at Dodger Blue
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]