It feels increasingly distant and unreal as time rambles on, but Shohei Ohtani once indeed pulled double-duty shifts for L.A.’s other baseball team.

Ohtani the Los Angeles Angel won Rookie of the Year and a pair of MVP awards, all while stuck in the “‘Tungsten Arm’ O’Doyle” vortex. Ohtani the Los Angeles Dodger has already nabbed his third MVP and his first World Series ring. The latter is hitting and pitching in his triumphant Anaheim return on Wednesday night, his first start from the mound against his former team. The usually spirited Freeway Series now has some additional road rage in the tank.

How to watch Dodgers at Angels
Venue: Angel Stadium — Anaheim, Calif.
Time: 9:38 p.m. ET, Wednesday
TV: MLB.TV and MLB Network (national); SportsNet LA and FDSN West (local)
Streaming: Fubo (Save $20)
Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.

The two-way phenom sports a 2.37 ERA through his first eight starts (19 innings) of 2025. Ohtani really pounded the strike zone in his previous outing, finishing with eight Ks across a season-high four frames last Wednesday. That start against St. Louis was also his second multi-inning effort without a walk allowed. It was, in a word, heat:

With a 98-mph four-seamer (sheesh) and a gnarly sweeper (29 percent usage so far), Ohtani appears to be rounding into form right as the Dodgers regain other critical arms. Tyler Glasnow has a 2.34 ERA and a 41-to-16 K:BB mark since his July return from right shoulder inflammation. Blake Snell (2-1, 2.37 ERA) is back in the rotation after four full months on ice; he was dealing with a left shoulder injury. Roki Sasaki, who has missed most of his MLB rookie campaign with right shoulder impingement, is now almost set for a comeback.

At the plate, Ohtani’s been on something of an all-or-nothing binge. He has 20 Ks in his last 13 games and lined into a triple play Tuesday night, but he is also batting .367 in that stretch and smashed a home run in his most recent at-bat. The Dodgers went just 10-14 in July, then have gone a dispiriting 5-6 so far in August. Their offense has been all over the place since a hot spring, and Dave Roberts’ crew is only a couple games over .500 away from Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers are locked in a battle for the NL West lead with the resurgent San Diego Padres, who are set to visit Dodger Stadium this Friday through Sunday. The Angels, meanwhile, are one of six middling teams trailing the Yankees for a final AL wild-card spot.

Mike Trout enters Wednesday’s action with 10 career home runs against his crosstown rivals in 47 Freeway Series tries. The future Hall of Famer has yet to face Ohtani in an MLB game, though the two did tangle for a two-out, ninth-inning World Baseball Classic finish in 2023.

The hard-throwing Ohtani is matched by the Angels’ Kyle Hendricks (6-8, 4.63 ERA). The right-handed veteran is in the 6 percentile for whiff rate, and his stuff has been coming in below 87 mph this year. It makes for an interesting style clash on the mound, and a potential get-right matchup for Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and the Dodgers’ lineup. Hendricks should all but certainly outlast Ohtani; since May, he’s gone at least five innings in all but two starts.

Most home runs in both jerseys:

Garret Anderson, 274 (272 Angels, 2 Dodgers)
Shohei Ohtani, 268 and counting (171 Angels, 97+ Dodgers)
Albert Pujols, 234 (222 Angels, 12 Dodgers)
Updated odds

Ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

(Photo of Shohei Ohtani: Luke Hales / Getty Images)