Shohei Ohtani is hopeful he will be able to make his next mound start for the Los Angeles Dodgers after Wednesday’s outing was cut short by cramping in his right hip.
The two-way sensation was scheduled to go four innings on a hot, humid night against the Cincinnati Reds, but left without recording an out in the fourth after he threw six straight balls, including two consecutive wild pitches.
After only pitching for the first time in two years last month, the sight of Ohtani, 31, leaving the mound early was a troubling one for Dodgers fans. Yet he quickly eased those fears by revealing it was down to cramp he experienced in the first inning.
‘Just tried to work around it. I was able to do so up until the third and it didn’t quite work out in the fourth,’ he said through an interpreter after the Dodgers’ 5-2 loss.
Ohtani and manager Dave Roberts both blamed the cramping on the weather. The temperature at first pitch was 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) with a heat index near 100.
Roberts went out with the trainer after his star man threw an 86.3mph sweeper that was low and outside the strike zone for a 2-0 count to Spencer Steer. After a conference on the mound, Ohtani left with the trainer.
Shohei Ohtani left the mound early for the Dodgers on Wednesday night in worrying scenes
The two-way superstar later reassured fans that his exit was merely due to cramps on the night
‘I just saw a funky throw. The follow-through just didn’t look right. And then he threw another pitch and I just didn’t see the finish the right way,’ Roberts said. ‘It was very concerning because I didn’t know what it was. He said it was his hip. I talked to him and he said it was the humidity. So I feel better knowing that.’
Ohtani – who leads the NL with 38 home runs – remained in the game at designated hitter, but went 0 for 5 just 24 hours after he struck out four times. He hit a line drive to Cincinnati center fielder Will Benson for the final out.
‘I don’t play defense. That helped, but at the same time we were playing a close game and I wanted to help the team win,’ the Japanese star said.
This was Ohtani’s seventh mound start in his comeback from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, which occurred after the 2023 season. He did not pitch at all last season, his first for the Dodgers after signing a 10-year, $700million contract, but he starred at DH — finishing with 54 homers and 59 stolen bases — and won his third MVP award.
Even though it was cut short, it still was the longest outing of his pitching comeback.
He threw 51 pitches, 32 for strikes, and allowed two runs on five hits in three-plus innings. He struck out four and walked two.
‘A good thing about today’s outing is my pitch count was where I wanted it to be. I think this is a step forward in a sense,’ said Ohtani, who has a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings.
‘I didn’t feel great to be honest physically the past couple days.’
