Dodgers could take a cue from former manager as they fumble with Shohei Ohtani usage

The Los Angeles Dodgers haven't tried to hide the fact that they're struggling to find balance for Shohei Ohtani in 2026, as Ohtani carries both starting pitching and hitting duties. And if Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is looking for some information to help him steer the Ohtani ship, former MLB manager Joe Maddon's recent comments might be of use.

Appearing on Foul Territory, Maddon, who managed Ohtani on the Angels, shared his thoughts about how he approached balancing Ohtani's two-way workload.

Maddon said that he was highly attuned to whatever Ohtani was communicating about how his legs felt on the day he was set to start. If Ohtani's legs felt strong and fresh enough to both pitch and hit, Maddon was often inclined to let him do both, as Ohtani himself was always of the mind that he gave his team the best chance to win by doing both.

On the other hand, if Ohtani was feeling fatigued at all — and he communicated this to Maddon the night before — Maddon wouldn't have Ohtani hit on the days that he pitched.

Dave Roberts is trying to figure out the best two-way formula for Shohei Ohtani

Roberts has experimented plenty this season with taking Ohtani out of the batting lineup on the days that he starts, but that hasn't stopped him from struggling at the plate this season. Entering Saturday, Ohtani was hitting just .232 over his last 15 games.

Roberts says this is the "most out of sync" he's seen Ohtani at the plate, and that his strategy to try and "swing out of it" isn't a wise one. Meanwhile, Roberts continues to tinker with Ohtani's rest days to figure out how he can help. This week, with Ohtani set to start on Wednesday, Roberts kept him out of the lineup that day and the next.

Dodgers need Shohei Ohtani's bat to return to form

The Athletic's Katie Woo spoke on Tuesday about Ohtani's struggles, pointing out how taxing the two-way situation can be, and that Ohtani trying to swing out of his slump is a "problem," echoing Roberts.

While Woo emphasized that the Dodgers aren't concerned about the long-term effectiveness of Ohtani at the plate, that doesn't change the fact that the present situation isn't good. Ohtani was hitting .212 with just one home run over the last 25 games entering Monday's game, in which he went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.

"This is just not who Shohei Ohtani is as a hitter," Woo said. The Dodgers, meanwhile, need Ohtani's offense. Entering Tuesday, they'd lost three in a row and six of their last 10. Although Ohtani might be setting out to log the best overall season ever, it won't mean as much if LA doesn't get back in the win column on a consistent basis.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow