Even legends need a breather. The Los Angeles Dodgers are giving Shohei Ohtani a much-needed mental reset, as the two-way superstar battles through one of the toughest hitting slumps of his historic career.

Manager Dave Roberts confirmed Tuesday that Ohtani will sit out Thursday's series finale against the San Francisco Giants. Roberts is also strongly considering giving Ohtani a day off from hitting during his scheduled pitching start on Wednesday, meaning the four-time MVP would focus solely on his mound duties that day. This comes after Roberts mentioned Monday that a day off was "certainly on the table" to help Ohtani reset.

Ohtani will still hit in his usual leadoff spot Tuesday night against Giants right-hander Adrian Houser, but the Dodgers are clearly prioritizing his long-term rhythm over short-term production.

Through 38 games this season, Ohtani is slashing just .233/.363/.404—a significant drop from his career line of .280/.374/.576. The two-time home run champion hasn't gone deep since April 27, a drought spanning 11 games, and has managed only four hits in his last 10 contests, going hitless in seven of them.

After a 9-3 loss Monday where Ohtani went 0-for-5, Roberts didn't mince words when asked if this was the worst he'd seen the superstar look at the plate. "Yes, it is," Roberts said. "Even early on when he wasn't right, he was still taking walks and getting on base. I think right now—and tonight was a classic example—he's trying to swing out of it. A lot of hitters, when they're struggling, they want to kind of swing out of it."

The silver lining? Ohtani has been nothing short of brilliant on the mound. In 37 innings pitched, he's posted a microscopic 0.97 ERA with a 0.811 WHIP and 42 strikeouts, making an early-season case for Cy Young honors. With the bat, however, the message from the Dodgers is clear: sometimes the best way to get back on track is to step back.