Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated that the team is not assigning blame for Shohei Ohtani's difficult first full two-way season with the club. Ohtani, a highly anticipated acquisition, has been significantly limited by left knee and right arm injuries throughout 2026, impacting his ability to perform as both a pitcher and a hitter.
Roberts acknowledged that the season presented challenges in managing Ohtani's workload. "Obviously, probably, you can say a lot [if you] look back," Roberts said. "Anyone can do that, and say, 'What could you have done better or different?' Absolutely. That’s something going forward we’re gonna look at. But it’s certainly not a blame game thing."
The star player initially attempted to pitch through his knee problem in mid-June. His pitching efforts were further hampered by a flare-up of his right biceps, which led to him being removed from the Dodgers' rotation in early July. While Ohtani's hitting was not significantly affected for most of the summer, his offensive performance began to decline last month as he increased his workload during his ultimately aborted pitching progression.
Two weeks prior to Roberts' comments, Ohtani's anticipated return to the mound was halted after he experienced lingering issues during a bullpen session, prompting the team to abandon his pitching comeback for the season. Concurrently, Ohtani entered a slump at the plate, going 6-for-46 and striking out four times in a single game, an outing that visibly showed his discomfort. Following this performance, the club gave him four days off.
Roberts indicated that the experience has provided valuable lessons for the organization. "It’s, I guess, under the thing of, ‘you don’t know until you know,’ and it’s important to kind of learn from experiences," he said. He stressed the importance of being mindful of the physical toll a two-way campaign takes on a player, adding, "It’s good for all of us to kind of appreciate that he’s not supernatural, as much as we think he might be at times."
Despite the setbacks, the Dodgers have not yet discussed specific plans for Ohtani's role next year but still envision him continuing as a two-way player. The team is hopeful that a renewed focus on carefully managing his late-season workload will help him regain his form offensively in time for the postseason. Roberts suggested that occasional days off are beneficial to ensure Ohtani's overall physical condition is as close to 100% as possible.
While this season did not unfold as planned for Ohtani or the Dodgers, Ohtani noted Monday that a worst-case scenario – being unable to play as a hitter – was avoided. "It’s learning from what happened and getting better," Roberts concluded, suggesting this approach will guide the team moving forward.