Ohtani: Pitching not causing slump at plate
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani insists his pitching role hasn't contributed to his uncharacteristic hitting slump in the postseason.
"I don't necessarily think that the pitching has affected my hitting performance," Ohtani said through an interpreter, per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. "Just on the pitching side, as long as I control what I can control, I feel pretty good about putting up results. On the hitting side, just the stance, the mechanics, that's something that I do - it's a constant work in progress. I don't necessarily think so. It's hard to say."
Ohtani's hitting .147 in the playoffs with a pair of home runs and six RBIs. He's recorded just one hit through two games of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers and has struck out three times.
His cold spell comes after hitting .282 over the regular season, along with a career-high 55 homers. Ohtani also led the National League in runs (146), slugging percentage (.622), and OPS (1.014).
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he's encouraged by Ohtani's recent at-bats, even if the results haven't been there.
"I think he's controlling the strike zone, I think he's still staying aggressive when he gets his pitch," Roberts said. "There was a lineout to right field, and there was three walks. There was the base hit in a run-scoring opportunity. Those are positives for me."
Ohtani has started one game on the mound in the playoffs, a six-inning effort against the Philadelphia Phillies in which he notched nine strikeouts. He made 14 starts in the regular season after not pitching at all in 2024, crafting a 2.87 ERA in 2025.
The 31-year-old is scheduled to start Friday's Game 4 against the Brewers.
The Dodgers own a 2-0 series lead with Game 3 scheduled for Thursday night in Los Angeles.