Shohei Ohtani: A Tough Night at Coors Field
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani had a forgettable performance in his first pitching start against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Ohtani left Wednesday’s game after allowing five earned runs and nine hits in four innings, in addition to being hit in the leg by a batted ball. With runners on second and third and one out in the fourth inning, Ohtani was hit by a 93 mph line drive off the bat of Orlando Arcia on his right leg, causing him to limp and wince in pain. The ball struck the National League MVP and ricocheted toward the first base line. Ohtani chased the ball and grabbed it on the line, spun to make a throw, but couldn’t prevent a runner from scoring. After a visit to the mound from manager Dave Roberts and the team’s medical staff, Ohtani remained in the game and recorded the final two outs of the inning, with the Dodgers trailing 5-0 at the time. The Dodgers lost to Colorado 8-3.Roberts said after the game that the hit struck Ohtani in the thigh and managed to avoid the knee and any contact with the bone. Ohtani mentioned that he had recently been hit in the same spot on his leg by a pitch.I was really relieved it was the thigh, because it hit him square.
Dave Roberts
This was Ohtani’s tenth start of the season, after not pitching in 2024 due to recovery from elbow surgery. The earned runs tied the most he has allowed since July 2022, and the nine hits tied a career high.I’m glad he didn’t hit his knee. I think we avoided the worst-case scenario. So, I’m going to focus on treatment.
Shohei Ohtani
Despite being hit, Ohtani stayed in the game and received a walk in his at-bat in the fifth inning. However, he did not bat in the eighth and was replaced by Alex Call, who struck out. Ohtani finished with a double and a walk, extending his on-base streak to 18 games. Roberts was “confident” that Ohtani would play on Friday against the San Diego Padres. Even before the injury, Ohtani was scheduled to rest on Thursday in the last game of the series against the Rockies. Before the game, Ohtani had a no-decision record and an ERA of 3.47. This season, he hasn’t pitched more than 4⅔ innings or 80 pitches. Against the Rockies, the worst team in MLB, he threw 66 pitches, 49 of them for strikes. Ohtani is batting .284 with 44 home runs, one behind the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber, the National League leader, with 83 RBIs.I put the team in a bad situation. It was a very regrettable outing. I wish I had done better.
Shohei Ohtani
