Dave Roberts flip-flopping on Shohei Ohtani's status is classic (infuriating) Dodgers trend

Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts during the Los Angeles Dodgers' brutal loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night. LA led the game through six innings, but Tanner Scott blew the save in the eighth, and Brock Stewart gave up three runs in extra innings. The Dodgers' offense had no response.

Over his last seven games, Ohtani has been mired in one of his worst slumps of the season. And it's not just bad by Ohtani standards — it's bad. Since August 26, he's hitting .143 with a .452 OPS and 12 strikeouts in 28 at-bats.

It's clear to anyone with eyes that Ohtani isn't 100%, but the Dodgers also halted his throwing progression for the time being, as he nurses knee and biceps issues. Andrew Friedman said just earlier this week that the team still expects him to pitch in 2026...but it doesn't really look like he should even be hitting right now.

Dave Roberts was honest in his assessment of Ohtani's struggles on Wednesday night, saying, "I saw the same thing that everyone saw. I saw the shaking of the arm. I saw the wincing. Clearly, the swings aren't who he is. Obviously there's some compensation."

Okay, that's straightforward enough. But how about an IL stint? "It won't be an IL –– unless it is."

Dave Roberts refused to give a straight answer on whether or not Shohei Ohtani will need an IL stint

This is classic Roberts. It's a running joke in the Dodgers fandom: Doc offers even a slightly optimistic update, the injured player in question undergoes a season-ending surgery the next day.

It's less funny when it's Ohtani, though. Although it's always seemed impossible to count him out entirely, he's just not healthy right now. He's doing the Dodgers' recovering offense no favors by striking out four times at the top of the lineup.

Roberts kept open the possibility of benching him on Thursday, and said he would be having a conversation with Ohtani and the Dodgers' head athletic trainer to assess the situation. Roberts acknowledged Ohtani would almost certainly push back on the idea he needs a couple days off, but "if he's feeling the way that visibly looks, then [it's] really not helping anyone."

The Dodgers have benched Ohtani a couple times this season, on days right after a start. It was supposed to keep him from too much wear-and-tear, but there may have never been a way around it.

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