Shohei Ohtani‘s hitting slump finally ended on Tuesday after 13 games, but the Los Angeles Dodgers still suffered a heavy loss, and manager Dave Roberts is not ready to change course with his star player just yet.
After opening the season with a dominant 14-4 record, the Dodgers have cooled off significantly, going just 10-14 since. Tuesday’s 6-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants dropped them to 24-18 overall and marked the 10th time in 13 games they scored three runs or fewer.
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Ohtani has been at the center of those offensive struggles. Through 39 games this season, the reigning NL MVP is batting .240 with seven home runs, 17 RBIs, and numbers well below last season’s production, when he hit .282 with 55 home runs, 102 RBIs, and a 1.014 OPS. Before Tuesday, he had managed just one home run over his previous 16 games.
But on Tuesday, there were encouraging signs against San Francisco.
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) grounds out in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The four-time MVP went 2-for-4, breaking out of a 4-for-38 slump with a third-inning homer and a first-inning single that helped set up the Dodgers’ opening run. But despite the bounce-back performance, Roberts confirmed he would not move away from plans to rest Ohtani over the next two days.
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“I’ve talked about the workload and I’ve talked to him at length about it,” Roberts said. “It’s tough on days he pitches. I don’t think it’s fair to player just to assume, he threw out a couple knocks so he should be in there tomorrow. I don’t like playing that game.”
Despite Ohtani’s strong night at the plate, the Dodgers once again failed to capitalize offensively. Yoshinobu Yamamoto surrendered an MLB career-high three home runs in a 6 1/3-inning, five-run outing, while Los Angeles continued its struggles against San Francisco.
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The Dodgers are now 1-4 against the Giants this season and have scored only nine total runs across those five matchups. Tuesday also marked their fourth consecutive loss by at least four runs, the franchise’s worst stretch of that kind since 1936.
Ohtani’s recent slump has only added to the team’s problems. Over his last 10 games, he is batting just .150 with four RBIs and one home run, which came Tuesday night.
Given the workload Ohtani carries as both a hitter and pitcher, Roberts’ decision to rest him is understandable, even if some questioned the timing after signs of a turnaround. The Dodgers will hope the brief reset helps their superstar regain momentum ahead of the team’s upcoming weekend road trip.
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Related: Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Shares Admission on Dave Roberts’ DH Decision
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.