Los Angeles Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani will start Tuesday’s game, and LA has some lofty expectations for the reigning MVP.
Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said he hopes Ohtani pitched six innings and reaching 80 pitches during his outing.
Additionally, Roberts said Ohtani wouldn’t go more than seven innings in his first start of the regular season, which comes against the Cleveland Guardians in a week. LA is aiming to figure out how to let Ohtani pitch as much as he possibly can without necessarily having him start every six days.
Ohtani has made just one start in 2026, pitching 4.1 innings following his return from the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He looked good in his first start back, though, allowing just a single hit while striking out four batters.
The Dodgers seem to be ahead of schedule with Ohtani’s ramping up to begin the season, as Roberts said he wanted Ohtani to pitch three to four innings to begin the year.
While it took the superstar a little bit before returning to the mound, Ohtani’s bat picked up where it left off this year. He has “just” a .788 OPS in the Cactus League this spring, but tore the cover off of the ball during the WBC.
He led all players with 10 or more plate appearances with a 1.842 OPS in the tournament, hitting three home runs and tallying seven RBIs in four games.
How Did Shohei Ohtani Pitch in 2025?
Ohtani made his return to pitching with the Dodgers in 2025, facing the San Diego Padres in June. He pitched just one inning in that outing, but continually worked his way up throughout the season and reached six innings by year’s end.
He made 14 starts in total during the regular season, posting a 2.87 ERA with a sub-2.00 FIP through 47 innings while striking out 62 batters. The right-hander didn’t exactly have the same success in the postseason, but still had some memorable performances such as his six-inning, 10-strikeout outing against the Milwaukee Brewers to clinch the NLCS.
If Ohtani can reach the goals the Dodgers have from him and come out of the gate hot, he could very well be in contention for his first Cy Young award.
Do you think Shohei Ohtani can win his first Cy Young in 2026?
