Dodgers' Dave Roberts Makes Shohei Ohtani Decision for Diamondbacks Series Finale
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has ruled Shohei Ohtani out of Thursday's series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Dodgers beat writer Bill Plunkett reported that Roberts confirmed Ohtani would not be in Thursday's lineup after the club planned to let him "empty the tank" in Wednesday's game and then recover fully the next day.
The decision comes as Los Angeles continues to manage his workload during a time when he has both pitched and hit in consecutive outings. Roberts said the Dodgers will continue to manage Ohtani's workload on a start-by-start basis, with a focus on timing his pitching appearances around rest days.
The club has repeatedly structured his schedule to maximize both availability and effectiveness in his dual role. Ohtani took the mound on Wednesday for his third straight appearance as a two-way player, continuing a stretch where the Dodgers carefully aligned his starts around off days or lighter schedules.
Roberts explained that the plan allowed Ohtani to push fully in his performance on Wednesday without worrying about immediate recovery demands the following day.
#Dodgers Dave Roberts says Shohei Ohtani will not be in the lineup v AZ on Thursday. Let him "empty the tank" tonight then have full recovery day.
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) June 3, 2026
The Dodgers continue to adjust how they manage Shohei Ohtani in his first full season as a two-way player as they try to balance his pitching and hitting workload. That could mean Ohtani sits each of the next two Thursdays as the Dodgers allow him to get some rest amid his incredible workload this season.
Roberts said the approach gave Ohtani mental and physical freedom, since the pitcher knew he would not need to prepare for another game immediately after pitching and hitting. Roberts also noted that earlier in the season, Ohtani needed a longer reset period between outings, but recent scheduling adjustments have helped him recover more efficiently.
The 31-year-old delivered another dominant outing in his latest start. He worked six scoreless innings, allowed just two hits and kept Arizona off the bases until the fourth inning when Gabriel Moreno broke up the no-hit bid with a double.
That performance continued a strong run of pitching form as he has handled increased two-way responsibilities. The 31-year-old delivered another dominant outing in his latest start.
He worked six scoreless innings, allowed just two hits and kept Arizona off the bases until the fourth inning when Gabriel Moreno broke up the no-hit bid with a double. That performance continued a strong run of pitching form as he has handled increased two-way responsibilities.
Ohtani has also shown improvement in his offensive production, hitting .273 with a .897 OPS in March and April, then raising his production to .314 with a .959 OPS since May 1. Since May 6, he is hitting .367 with a 1.086 OPS, and over his last 10 games he has slashed .385/.467/.667.
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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 10:30 AM.