Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will make his first start of the 2026 season against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday.
Ohtani is the final starter in the Dodgers’ rotation to make a start, and will look to keep the ball rolling after a strong spring training effort. Ohtani made two appearances on the mound for the Dodgers this spring, allowing three runs through 8.1 innings of work.
He allowed just one hit through four innings in his first appearance while striking out four batters, earning a win against the San Francisco Giants.The right-hander pitched four innings in his second appearance in an exhibition match against the Los Angeles Angels, and struck out 11 batters while allowing three runs.
The reigning MVP made his pitching debut for the Dodgers in 2025, and had a solid campaign in his return to the mound. He made 14 starts for LA last year, posting a 2.87 ERA through 47 innings pitched. He recorded 62 strikeouts in that time, working his way up to six innings pitched by the end of the season.
As a pitcher, Ohtani has an even 3.00 ERA through 528 innings pitched in his career, and has a fourth-place Cy Young finish under his belt. The Dodgers will hope he can settle in early in the season and show how dominant he can be as a pitcher.
How has Shohei Ohtani Performed So Far in 2026?
Through the first four games of the season, Ohtani has struggled to produce results at the plate. He has just two hits through 12 at-bats in his four games, but has scored two runs and walked twice.
Despite his slow start, manager Dave Roberts believes he—along with struggling teammates Freddie Freeman and Kyle Tucker—will get back on the right track soon.
“I am surprised that they got off to a slow start, but you just never really know,” Roberts said after the Dodgers’ loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday. “Spring training is just not predictive. It’s just not. I think for me, the takeaway is we’re 3-1 and the guys that we expect to swing the bats aren’t swinging the bats right now. So that’s a good thing. They’ll hit.”
Ohtani will look to get off to a good start on the mound and get back on track at the plate Tuesday against the Guardians. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. PT.
Are you confident ahead of Shohei Ohtani’s first start of the year?
