The Los Angeles Dodgers have utilized Shohei Ohtani very carefully this season, but their latest move to manage his workload comes at a disappointing cost.
Yesterday, the Dodgers rescheduled Ohtani's next start, which was supposed to take place on Wednesday against the Athletics. He will instead pitch on Friday against the San Diego Padres.
This decision led Bob Nightengale of USA Today to note that Ohtani will no longer be an option to pitch in the All-Star Game, scheduled for July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 31-year-old outlier is scheduled to make his final start of the first half next week, which would put him on short rest if he were to pitch in the Midsummer Classic. The Dodgers typically give Ohtani six or more days of rest due to his two-way play and injuries in the past.
While it certainly makes sense for the Dodgers to play it safe with Ohtani, especially since the All-Star Game is an exhibition, it's still very disappointing for the baseball world because Ohtani has never looked better on the mound. Despite being six innings shy of qualifying for the ERA title, Ohtani boasts a tremendous 1.58 ERA in 13 starts, alongside a 2.57 FIP, 0.90 WHIP and 86 strikeouts in 79.2 innings of work.
Of course, it's impossible to talk about Ohtani without mentioning his hitting prowess. At the plate, he's hitting .296/.412/.542 with 18 home runs and a 159 wRC+. Ohtani's two-way play reached new heights this month (shocker!), as he became the first player in MLB history to hit eight or more home runs while going 3-0 or better as a pitcher in the same month.
While Ohtani will not be pitching in the All-Star Game, he was still automatically voted in as the National League's starting designated hitter, so baseball fans will still get to see him slug. Nonetheless, it's still a bummer that Ohtani won't get to showcase his two-way play in this year's game, especially when he's at his peak as a pitcher.
The National League still has two other incredibly exciting candidates to start the All-Star Game, though. Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers is currently the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award, and witnessing his consistent triple-digit velocity in the Midsummer Classic would be electrifying. Another fantastic option is Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies, who not only pitched 50.2 consecutive scoreless innings earlier in the season but also has the opportunity to pitch in front of his home fans.
