PITTSBURGH — Shohei Ohtani was feeling “under the weather” on Tuesday – and hit a ball 120 mph, the third-highest exit velocity in MLB this year and the hardest-hit ball by any Dodger in the Statcast era (since 2015).
But he wasn’t up to pitching on Wednesday. The Dodgers scratched Ohtani from his scheduled start against the Pittsburgh Pirates, though he was in the lineup at DH.
“He did a side (throwing session) and didn’t feel good. Kind of alerted the training staff,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So we just felt at that point in time, asking him if he could still hit. He assured us that he could, which proved to be the right call (Ohtani was 3 for 5 with two doubles and the home run in Tuesday’s game).
“But as far as the workout with the catch play, it got cut short. And then when you’re sick and potentially dehydrated, just feeling like the tax of pitching in a game – it wasn’t worth it.”
With off days last Thursday and Monday, the Dodgers had skipped Emmet Sheehan’s spot in the starting rotation but hadn’t used him out of the bullpen. So Sheehan got the start Wednesday against the Pirates.
The expectation, Roberts said, is that Ohtani will pitch at some point this weekend during the series in Baltimore.
Ohtani’s symptoms including “a deep cough” and congestion are not unique in the Dodgers’ clubhouse. A number of players have been experiencing the same chest cold symptoms.
“We’re trying to manage it. But there are guys that are just not feeling great right now,” Roberts acknowledged.
Roberts said there was no danger of Ohtani being out of the lineup as a hitter. He has missed just three games all season, two while on paternity leave and one after his pitching start in Colorado. Roberts said the decision to push back his pitching start was “proactive.”
“The toll of taking four or five at-bats versus pitching five innings – there’s no comparison,” Roberts said. “So we felt just to make the decision yesterday afternoon, which we did, that he was going to pitch sometime this weekend, but still take on DH responsibilities.”
WHAT NEXT?
Rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki made his fourth and likely final rehab appearance with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday. He allowed 12 runs on 17 hits and eight walks in 14 innings with OKC.
Roberts admitted he is “surprised” Sasaki didn’t have better results in Triple-A.
“I am surprised. Because the talent level is certainly there,” he said. “The performance, the stuff hasn’t been there. I think there needs to be a tick up in stuff. And also against Triple-A hitters, you would expect more.”
Roberts said he doesn’t know what is next for Sasaki but made it clear the 23-year-old has not done enough to justify a return to the major-league rotation.
“I guess the bar is high right now, because we’re in a pennant race,” Roberts said. “So to warrant pitching on our staff right now, there’s got to be urgency on his part and really dominant performance. That’s the level of where we’re at right now. That’s why, personally, I feel confident in speaking of certain expectations for Roki.
“Like I said a couple weeks ago, we’ve got to go with our best guys. And this is the time, right now. And again, Roki has gone through a lot this year. And he still has a ton of talent. We just want to see more.”
ALSO
Left-hander Alex Vesia began a rehab assignment with OKC on Wednesday night by pitching a hitless inning. Vesia retired all three batters he faced, striking out one.
Tommy Edman continued his rehab assignment in the second game. He played center field for the first time and made a diving catch there. But he was 0 for 2 with a strikeout at the plate.
Max Muncy is scheduled to join them with OKC at some point this week.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (LHP Blake Snell, 3-3, 2.41 ERA) at Pirates (RHP Paul Skenes, 9-9, 2.05 ERA), Thursday, 3:40 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM
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