"Pitching Nearly Ruined His Hitting": Shohei Ohtani’s Decision Completely Scraps His Return to the Mound This Season

[Financial News] Plagued by relentless injuries and a severe batting slump, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has made a major decision. He officially announced that he would completely scrap his return to the mound this season and focus exclusively on hitting, bringing his two-way campaign in 2026 to an end.
On August 8, Ohtani started as the No. 1 designated hitter in a home game against the Cincinnati Reds at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. He went 0-for-3 with one walk in the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) game.
Ohtani did not record a hit in his first game back after missing four straight games because of knee and right biceps injuries. The Dodgers nevertheless defeated Cincinnati 6-3, powered by Teoscar Hernández’s three-RBI performance.
The biggest topic of the game was the news that Ohtani had halted his pitching comeback. After suffering a series of injuries, including knee and biceps problems, since June, Ohtani had not taken the mound since July 4. He had recently resumed his pitching program in preparation for a return.
However, the move produced a painful backlash. Since he began intensive pitching workouts on July 9, Ohtani had fallen into a severe slump, going 19-for-96 for a .198 batting average, a .690 on-base plus slugging percentage, and 34 strikeouts. Fatigue from the workouts and the subconscious burden of worrying about further injury disrupted his balance at the plate as well.
The Dodgers’ coaching staff and Ohtani ultimately agreed to halt his pitching rehabilitation entirely. They determined that setting aside the pressure of pitching and focusing solely on hitting to regain his lost feel would be far more beneficial to the team’s postseason hopes.
Ohtani also accepted the reality of the situation. In an interview with local media after the game, he said, "What concerned me most was preventing the worst-case scenario in which I would be unable to play at all because of an overly aggressive pitching rehabilitation program." He revealed how seriously he had feared that his condition could even prevent him from appearing as a hitter.
He added, "It is disappointing that I will not be able to pitch again this season," but vowed, "I want to use this experience as a learning opportunity and as a foundation for improving next season. I am confident that my overall performance will get better going forward."
Manager Dave Roberts strongly supported the decision to end Ohtani’s two-way campaign. Roberts explained, "Ohtani has not looked like himself at the plate at all over the past few weeks. For now, the best course is to relieve him of the pressure of pitching and let him focus solely on his role as a hitter."
He continued, "The biggest victory of today’s game was confirming that Ohtani felt fine physically even after returning from four full days of rest." Roberts encouraged Ohtani, a key part of the team.
Ohtani posted a remarkable 8-2 record and a 1.79 ERA as a pitcher in the first half of this season. His next appearance on the mound will now have to wait until 2027. With the burden of pitching completely removed, attention will turn to whether Ohtani can regain his status as a "monster hitter" during the remainder of the regular season and the upcoming postseason.


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