Shohei Ohtani’s ‘consistency’ has impressed Dave Roberts most on the mound

The importance of Shohei Ohtani for the Los Angeles Dodgers as a two-way player is what makes him so special for Dave Roberts’ club. If Los Angeles needed a clutch hit over the last few seasons, it feels like Ohtani was always there to come through, and since returning as a pitcher, Ohtani is now the one the manager looks for to deliver a clutch performance.

The Dodgers will need that version of Ohtani to return again on Wednesday night when they visit the San Francisco Giants. After losing two of three games to the Colorado Rockies, the Dodgers dropped the opening game of their series to the Giants. For some teams, a three-loss in four stretch is far from the end of the world, but when it happens to Los Angeles, it feels significant.

"We've lost, I think 3 out of 4, so he (Ohtani) wants to reset things to go out there and pitch well to give us a chance to win tonight.

Dave Roberts talks to the media before tonight's matchup with the Giants. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/UQVkN0IGmT

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 23, 2026

It has been a bit of a rough start to the season for Ohtani at the plate. He has his worst slash line since joining the Dodgers, and his five home runs have him behind the 50-homer pace that he maintained over the past two seasons. It would only take a couple of hot weeks for Shohei to get back on track, but his struggles are part of the reason why the Dodgers’ record isn’t as great as they might like.

Batting might be an issue this season, but Shohei Ohtani’s three starts have been lights out. He is 2-0, allowing just one earned run over 18 innings. Roberts isn’t using him as frequently as he’d might like, but having that kind of weapon to put on the mound when needed is a rare advantage.

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