Shohei Ohtani pitches but doesn't bat for first time since 2021. He's still sore from a hit-by-pitch

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani was the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday night but he was held out of the lineup as designated hitter, the result of getting hit by a pitch this week. It's the first time since May 28, 2021 with the Los Angeles Angels that Ohtani has not been in the batting lineup during a mound start. Ohtani is still sore from being struck on the back of his right shoulder by a pitch from the New York Mets' David Peterson on Monday. The Japanese superstar let out a howl, but stayed in the game. "If it weren't for the hit by pitch, he would've been DHing and pitching tonight," manager Dave Roberts said before the game. "But I do think that just to be able to pitch and focus on that will be a benefit for the mind and the body, and hopefully, we're just in a little moment of fatigue and we can get past it." Roberts said Ohtani has felt progressively better since Monday. But the training staff, coaches and Roberts felt it was better for him not to hit in the series finale, although Ohtani was initially surprised to hear the decision. "Because I've never asked him to pitch and not hit," Roberts said. "I think that he understands that I'm making a decision that's best for the player, for him, and for the team." Ohtani is 0 for 7 at the plate since getting hit. His career-best on-base streak reached 48 games after he was intentionally walked in the eighth inning on Tuesday. It's the fourth-longest streak in franchise history. Roberts expects Ohtani to be back hitting and pitching in his next start, although he said he would consider giving Ohtani a hitting break again on a night when he's pitching at some point in the future. "It's got to make sense to not have your best hitter not in the lineup," Roberts said. "Then the question is when he does hit, on days that he pitches, where's the best for him to hit in the order? I think there's fair arguments to both, to moving him down a little bit, give him a breather, let him get into the game. But I'm not prepared to make that decision quite yet. But it is something that I'm mindful of it." On the mound, Ohtani had his 22 2/3 inning scoreless streak snapped at Toronto last week, but the right-hander hasn't allowed an earned run since Aug. 27, 2025, against Cincinnati — a span of 28 2/3 innings. Ohtani made his Dodgers pitching debut last season, going 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 47 innings over 14 starts. His four-seam fastball averaged a career-best 98.4 mph last year. Ohtani owns the longest on-base streak by a Japanese-born player at 48 games, surpassing Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, who reached in 43 straight games in 2009. Roberts said Ohtani would not be available to pinch hit against the Mets. "You can tell Carlos Mendoza he's an option, though," he joked, referring to New York's manager.