Ohtani rule haters might have less to complain about soon as Dodgers weigh options

A firestorm of discourse has surrounded the Dodgers in recent days after recent jabs from Cubs manager Craig Counsell regarding the so-called "Shohei Ohtani rule" that allows the Dodgers to better maximize their usage of baseball's biggest star. Dodgers fans got their revenge on Chicago over the weekend by booing the Cubs' biggest star while the Dodgers took care of business on the field, but the complaining over the Ohtani rule hasn't gone away.

Those complaints might hold less water going forward, however. There are two rules that allow the Dodgers additional flexibility in how they use Ohtani: one that permits them to count him as a position player for the purposes of the 13-pitcher roster limit, and one that allows him to remain in the game as a DH after exiting as a starting pitcher. The Dodgers continue to benefit from that first rule, but it seems as though the second might not benefit the team quite as much going forward.

That's because the Dodgers are not only considering leaving Ohtani out of the lineup during at least some of his starts; they did it for the second time this season on Tuesday night.

As noted by The Athletic's Katie Woo, manager Dave Roberts pulled the plug on Ohtani's last start after six innings rather than let him pitch deeper into the game despite the fact that he was cruising. That's actually become the norm for Ohtani so far this year, as all four of his starts have lasted exactly six innings.

That's not the only way the Dodgers could consider limiting Ohtani's workload, however. Woo reports that the Dodgers have weighed the possibility of leaving Ohtani's name out of the starting lineup on days where he's starting on the mound. Roberts, for his part, didn't deny the possibility. While he made clear that he feels "really good" about having Ohtani in the lineup on a daily basis, he did acknowledge that resting him on start days is "certainly something we've flagged."

If the Dodgers were to start resting Ohtani as a hitter during his start days, that would mean they would be using the rule that allows him to DH after being pulled from the game as a starter far less frequently. The logic behind doing so is somewhat understandable, too. This is the first season since 2023 where Ohtani is attempting to put together a full workload as both a batter and a pitcher, and days where he pitches are the only ones where he can sit out of the lineup and still impact the game.

The Dodgers shouldn't make a habit of leaving Ohtani out of the lineup

While rest is certainly important as the Dodgers try to preserve their superstar to ensure he's ready for the postseason, it's certainly possible that the team could fall into the trap of doing too much of a good thing. Even the greatest MLB hitters are creatures of habit, and Ohtani is no exception. As noted by MLB.com's Sonja Chen back in October, it took a 1-18 stretch in the middle of the playoffs last year for him to make a change as minor as moving his batting practice onto the field.

That's not a criticism of Ohtani, of course. His unparalleled success as a player makes sticking closely to his routines an understandable effort. It's just another reason that the Dodgers should be careful about making too many changes to Ohtani's routines in the name of affording him extra rest. That's all the more important now that he's begun to find a groove at the plate; after a ten-game stretch where he hit .189 with a strikeout rate approaching 30%, he's recorded seven hits in his last three games.

If there's anyone Dodgers fans should trust to make the right call on whether Ohtani needs more rest or not, it's Roberts. The team's longtime skipper continues to make the case for himself as the best manager the game has to offer. Los Angeles has yet to walk away from a season without a World Series championship in the Ohtani era, and Roberts will surely do everything in his power to keep that streak going this year — even if it's controversial.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow