"When he's hitting, there's a component that he's in the cage, getting ready to hit. If we can take that off his plate, and just focus on one thing tonight, we felt, training staff, pitching coaches and myself -- we just felt it was the best thing for him."
"The hit-by-pitch was the biggest factor in the decision to not bat Ohtani, but coupling it with Thursday's off day was also appealing, especially because the Dodgers will play their next four games at mile-high altitude in Denver."
"Ohtani, fully recovered from a second repair of his ulnar collateral ligament, is navigating his first full-time two-way season since 2022. And though there is no set plan, the Dodgers might seek other opportunities to give him a break from hitting on his start days."
Shohei Ohtani was not in the starting lineup while pitching against the New York Mets, a first in five years. The decision followed a hit-by-pitch incident that raised concerns about his upper back. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts emphasized that focusing solely on pitching would benefit Ohtani. Dalton Rushing replaced him as designated hitter, and Kyle Tucker took the leadoff spot. The Dodgers may consider similar strategies in the future to manage Ohtani's workload during his two-way season.
Read at ESPN.com
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