HOUSTON — Shohei Ohtani will take the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night against the Houston Astros, marking his sixth start of the season while also serving as the designated hitter. After opening the series with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Monday, the focus turns to Ohtani as the Dodgers navigate a demanding stretch of games.
Ohtani arrives with impressive numbers, posting a 0.60 ERA over 30 innings this season. In his most recent outing against the Miami Marlins, he allowed just one earned run across six innings while striking out nine. His strong April performance earned him National League Pitcher of the Month honors — the first such award of his career on the mound.
The Astros bring a solid lineup that ranks near the top of the American League in OPS, but their pitching staff has been dealing with several injuries. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are looking to end a rare power slump, having gone six straight games without a home run — their longest streak since 2014.
To address a recent 0-for-14 stretch at the plate, Ohtani took on-field batting practice Monday afternoon instead of his usual cage work. Manager Dave Roberts expressed positive surprise at the move, noting that seeing the ball flight often helps hitters reset their swing. Roberts confirmed Ohtani will stay in the lineup as the DH on Tuesday, unlike his previous start where he focused only on pitching.
Balancing the extra workload presents challenges, but Roberts is confident the team can manage it effectively. Ohtani has shown willingness to put in the work to stay sharp both on the mound and at the plate, and the Dodgers are relying on him and Yamamoto to give the bullpen some rest after heavy recent usage.
All eyes will be on whether Ohtani can continue his dominant pitching while sparking the offense in Houston. His unique two-way ability makes Tuesday’s game another highlight in what has been a strong start to the season for the star.