The Los Angeles Dodgers have one of the most valuable players in baseball, but even they don’t quite know what to do with him. Shohei Ohtani is a unicorn, and managing a unicorn comes with no instruction manual. While Dave Roberts insists there’s a plan in place, the details seem about as clear as a foggy morning in Los Angeles.

What can Shohei Ohtani do? He can bat, and he can pitch, and he is very good at both. But where do the Dodgers use him? Not even Dave Roberts knows the answer to this question correctly. But he has given some insight into this.

The Los Angeles Dodgers went to play the Los Angeles Angels on Friday and just before the match, Dave Roberts talked about this. He said, “I just don’t know if it’s going to be before a start day to prepare, after a start day. … I just don’t know any of that stuff right now.” 

We all know that Shohei Ohtani is expected to be a two-way player in the 2025 season. So he will need more maintenance. And due to this, Dave Roberts says that Ohtani’s at-bats and his steals will decrease. But he assures that the quality of those at-bats will be second to none. But he also shared a concern that has many fans questioning the management.

He says that he has no clue when they will need to rest Shohei Ohtani in relation to his starts. They will be assessing this as the season moves on. He also said that with the commitment Ohtani has shown in the gym and in rehab, it will not be many setbacks and the Shotime will carry on smoothly.

In other words, the Dodgers have a generational talent but no clear blueprint on how to use him. Ohtani will hit, he will pitch, and somewhere along the way, the team will figure out the details—probably on the fly. Until then, the only certainty is that Shohei Ohtani will continue being Shohei Ohtani, and the Dodgers will keep pretending they have it all under control.

Shohei Ohtani talks about his takeaways from the Angels game

Shohei Ohtani doesn’t do slow starts—he does statements. Facing his former team after months of rehab, he wasted no time reminding everyone why he’s the MVP. While the box score tells one story, Ohtani has his own takeaways from the game.

After hammering a home run and winning the game against the Angels, Shohei Ohtani revealed how his time off baseball has gone. He said, “Regardless of the results, I think the biggest takeaway was being able to go through my three at-bats without any issues. Physically, I felt really good.”

He also went on to explain how he has made changes to his bat swing. He has changed it to something that is better for him physically and will give him consistent results. Ohtani says that the swing he is using aligns well with how his body is feeling, and he will continue to work on it in his rehab.

In other words, Ohtani isn’t just adjusting—he’s upgrading. With his swing dialed in and his body responding well, it looks like the only thing that needs rehab is the competition. If this is him easing back in, good luck to the pitchers who have to face him at full strength.