The Los Angeles Dodgers made a subtle but telling move this week, and it has fans wondering: Is something off with Shohei Ohtani?

On Tuesday, Ohtani will take the mound as a pitcher but will not step into the batter's box—a decision that might seem routine for any other player, but for Ohtani, it's anything but. The two-way superstar has long been baseball's ultimate dual threat, routinely hitting in the lineup even on the days he pitches. That's the full Ohtani experience: elite pitching and elite hitting, all in one game.

But this season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has increasingly kept Ohtani's bat out of the lineup when he starts. What's more concerning? Roberts originally planned for Ohtani to hit on Tuesday. It wasn't until after Monday night's game that he changed his mind.

The reason likely lies in Ohtani's recent slump at the plate. He's 0-for-17 in his last five games—hardly the kind of numbers that inspire confidence. According to Bill Blunkett of the Orange County Register, Ohtani's body language on Monday was also less than encouraging. Roberts himself noted that the quality of Ohtani's at-bats convinced him to "take that off his plate" for a day.

Let's be clear: Ohtani is still incredibly valuable even when doing just one of his two specialties. But part of his magic—the mystique that makes him one of the most exciting players in baseball—is that he does it all. He's a top-tier pitcher and a top-tier hitter rolled into one.

Lately, however, the Dodgers have been pulling back from that full two-way workload. And while the team may not say it outright, this quiet shift in strategy speaks volumes. For a player who has redefined what's possible on a baseball field, even a temporary step back is worth paying attention to.