After an incredible stretch of two-way dominance, Shohei Ohtani is getting a well-deserved breather. For the first time this season, the Los Angeles Dodgers will take the field without their superstar in the starting lineup, as manager Dave Roberts has scheduled a rest day for Ohtani during Thursday's series finale against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium.
The timing couldn't be more strategic. Ohtani just snapped a 16-day home run drought with a blast on Tuesday, then followed it up with seven scoreless innings on the mound Wednesday—lowering his MLB-leading ERA to an astonishing 0.82. With the Dodgers in the middle of a grueling stretch of 13 consecutive game days, Roberts saw the perfect opportunity to give his two-way phenom a break.
"It might be a good thing to take a little bit of a load off his plate offensively," Roberts explained earlier this week. He even had some lighthearted advice for Ohtani on how to spend his rare day off: "Show up late, start the day much later, build up some R and R. But as the game goes on, start reading the scoreboard and seeing if the situation potentially could arise."
Don't count Ohtani out completely, though—Roberts confirmed he'll be available as a pinch-hitter if the game calls for it.
In Ohtani's absence, the Dodgers have gotten solid production from their fill-in designated hitters. Teoscar Hernández stepped into the DH role on Wednesday while Ohtani focused solely on pitching, delivering his second multi-hit game of the series. Dalton Rushing has also impressed in limited duty, collecting a home run and a double in 11 at-bats with four RBIs. Overall, non-Ohtani designated hitters are batting a robust .313 with five extra-base hits in four games this season.
Taking the mound for Los Angeles to close out the homestand is Emmet Sheehan, who impressed in his last outing with seven strikeouts over 4⅔ innings while allowing just one run against the Atlanta Braves. He'll face Giants right-hander Landen Roupp, who held the Dodgers to just one run back on April 21—though he also walked five batters in that outing.
With Ohtani getting some rest, Thursday's game offers a glimpse at the Dodgers' depth—and a reminder that even superstars need a break now and then.