BIG TALKING POINT
As good as Ohtani has been, Roberts believes he'll take his game and Dodgers to higher level
LOS ANGELES >> As far as trending topics go, there is no greater one for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts than Shohei Ohtani.
Whether it's a standout pitching performance from a starter, or a rough day for the bullpen, there is an Ohtani question waiting for Roberts at some point. As Mookie Betts continues his blistering hot start amid a position change, or Teoscar Hernandez settles into life with his new team, there is always an inquiry about the one player who primarily will swing the bat this season.
When you have $700 million committed to you, the queries no doubt will come early, late and often. And to Roberts' credit, he will call it like he sees it.
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When asked about Ohtani's seemingly anxious approach at the plate this week with runners in scoring position, Roberts admitted, “We have to temper that back.”
When Ohtani's plate appearances during the Freeway Series looked less than engaged, as he was facing his former team no less, Roberts could have shrugged it off. Yet he acknowledged it during the opening homestand of the season: “It just didn't look right.”
The sign of the great ones in baseball is the ability to emerge from downturns faster than others. Ohtani's ability to regain his top form might come even quicker than most.
Take the three times Tuesday that Ohtani came to the plate with a runner in scoring position and he swung at the first pitch each time. A pair of ground balls and a fly out ensued.
“Shohei is obviously a very aggressive hitter, but he can do a better job of getting into a count,” Roberts said. “Right now, he's been super aggressive, more than he's ever been with runners in scoring position.”
A mere 14 hours later, Ohtani singled in his first at-bat Wednesday against the Nationals on a blistering line drive to right field that registered 107.9 mph off the bat. He singled to right field again in the sixth inning on a 106.7-mph rocket.
In the eighth inning, with the Dodgers in need of base runners, Ohtani singled one more time, this time to center field. He then stole second base without a throw, giving him four steals in four attempts this season.
The three-hit game was Ohtani's third of the season and second on the current homestand. He has 10 multi-hit games of the 21 total games he has played.
Ohtani was not able to address his 1-for-19 (.053) start with runners in scoring position, but that was on his teammates, who had a combined two hits on the day when the Dodgers fell 2-0 to the Washington Nationals. They were shut out for the first time this season.
Ohtani has gone without a hit only three times this season. He went 0 for 3 on April 2 against the San Francisco Giants and