Dodgers’ Dave Roberts had advice for Shohei Ohtani – stay disciplined

Roberts says he talked with Ohtani about not expanding his strike zone, particularly after his 1-for-19 start to the season with runners in scoring position

WASHINGTON — Shohei Ohtani’s 1-for-19 start to the season with runners in scoring position didn’t set off any alarm bells for the Dodgers.

“Look at our good guys at the end of the year,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said of the team’s overall struggles with runners in scoring position. “Our good guys will be good.”

Ohtani has always been good with runners in scoring position. Going into Tuesday’s game against the Washington Nationals, Ohtani had a career slash line in those situations of .290/.420/.615 with 45 home runs – including two hits in his past three at-bats since that 1-for-19 start.

But something about that start prompted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to have a conversation with Ohtani “about a week ago.”

“I think it was more of just kind of seeing how they were pitching him with runners in scoring position,” Roberts said. “I thought he was expanding (his strike zone) a little bit more than he needed to. So I just wanted to have the conversation with him.

“Just trying to make him aware of what I feel he could do better, what pitchers are trying to do to him, given his track record, tendencies.”

The Dodgers made their own study of those tendencies when they had to face Ohtani annually during his six seasons with the Angels, figuring out a way to pitch the two-time American League MVP.

“I think sometimes people try to go up on him. We tried to go up on him,” Roberts said. “But he, along with (Mike) Trout – they closed that window. For a while you could try to go up on him. But there’s a lot of risk-reward if you try to do that. You got to have a lot of confidence if you want to go up above the belt.”

Watching Ohtani on a daily basis now, Roberts sees opposing teams trying an assortment of tactics to try and get him out.

“It’s different,” he said. “I think some try to crowd him. Some try to go up. Some try to spin him. It just boils down to … like all hitters, if you control the strike zone, swing at strikes. But with Shohei there’s just gonna be more damage (if you miss).”

REHAB TIME

Rght-hander Blake Treinen started a minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Treinen has not pitched in the majors since undergoing shoulder surgery in November 2022. His return this season has been delayed by a rib injury he suffered when he was hit by a line drive during the Dodgers’ Cactus League game on March 9.

His first rehab outing didn’t go well. He struck out the first batter he faced but then gave up hits to the next three and left the game after throwing 20 pitches. Treinen is expected to make three or four rehab outings before he is ready to return to the Dodgers.

Meanwhile, Roberts said outfielder Jason Heyward is not ready to start a rehab assignment. He has been out for almost a month now with a lower back strain.

“Jason’s gonna meet us in Arizona,” Roberts said, referring to the final stop on the Dodgers’ three-city road trip. “I don’t think he’s swinging a bat yet. So he’s still a ways away.”

Heyward will need a rehab assignment as well, Roberts said. But that won’t start any time soon.

“There’s some residual soreness that is starting to dissipate,” Roberts said. “We wanted to get rid of that so we can start moving forward with baseball activity.”

Right-hander Walker Buehler is scheduled to start for OKC on Wednesday, his fifth rehab start (fourth with OKC).

RECORD BREAK

Ohtani’s home run against the New York Mets on Sunday was the 176th of his career, moving him past Hideki Matsui for the most by a Japanese-born player in MLB. Afterward, he joked that he had a new goal now.

“I want to break my manager’s record,” Matsui said through his interpreter.

Roberts holds the Dodgers’ franchise record for home runs by a Japanese-born player – with seven, just two more than Ohtani already has this season.

“I hope he breaks it tonight,” Roberts said before Tuesday’s game.

Ohtani only hit one home run Tuesday.