Shohei Ohtani’s Bat Remains Silent as the Dodgers Fall Again – Why Are the Men in Blue Fading Fast?

“It just seems like we’re running cold,” Dave Roberts said after the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 5th straight defeat. The Men in Blue haven’t been their usual selves in the past few days. Though symptoms were present for a few weeks, momentary heroics from their superstars like Shohei Ohtani hid those weaknesses well. But now that even the two-way phenom’s bat has been silenced, there’s a growing worry regarding the highly ineffectual offensive lineup of the team.

The primary issue that plagued the Dodgers during this series against the Cincinnati Reds wasn’t their lack of runs. It was actually their complete inability to get any hits. Despite their lineup filled with stars like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, it seems like the entire team has gone cold at the same time. It was already a scary situation, but then came reports of Shohei Ohtani’s hamstring issues. 

Though the skipper has called the issues mild, Ohtani’s numbers haven’t been great in the past few days. While one can’t call it evidence of the injury affecting him, it does have a little smoke, leading to alarm bells ringing in fans’ minds. So, what does Dave Roberts think about this? The skipper noted that “When you’re not hitting, it certainly seems lifeless. I know it’s not from are and preparations. But the bottom line is, it’s about results. And we’re not getting them right now.” (Per Los Angeles Times)

But while the 5-game losing streak is the longest the Dodgers have had since 2019, their extended record has been no better. The team is currently 7-9 in the last 16 games. The key issue? They’re completely silent bats. Before Sunday’s game, the Dodgers’ average since May 10 was a dismal .197 against four-seamers. The team has whiffed on 27% of those pitches. 

There’s a clear issue here that Dave Roberts needs to resolve. One even wonders whether resting Shohei Ohtani might prove to be of utmost help for the two-way phenom.

Los Angeles Dodgers’ downslide continues while the squad remains positive

Though the team hasn’t been their usual self lately, the squad nonetheless believes they can turn things around. “It’s still a really good lineup, and we know it’s gonna flip,” Gavin Lux said. “But yeah, I think we all expect more out of ourselves. I think everyone does.” But while Lux was positive, Dave Roberts continued to identify the key issues that were affecting the Blue Crews’ hitting abilities.

“I think it’s lack of consistency of approach,” Roberts explained. “We’re trying to cover too many parts of the zone, in my opinion, and we’re missing the fastball. I think that’s the crux.” But while the skipper has identified the issue, how will he solve it? Freddie Freeman shared that they had been informed about their fastball issues and would be taking on heaters from now on. Perhaps that could be the start of something good. 

Still, the Dodgers look a little imbalanced for a team that has spent over $1 billion this offseason. They certainly look a little too top-heavy. And that’s something that will take some time to solve.