MLB Network analyst Dan O’Dowd wants Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani to stay out of the batting order on days where he pitches.

Ohtani played as a pitcher only for the first time since 2021 on Wednesday, and he had his best pitching outing of the season so far. The reigning MVP pitched six innings of one-run baseball, logging 10 strikeouts in the process. O’Dowd—who served as the Colorado Rockies’ general manager for 15 years—believes Ohtani should take breaks from hitting more often.

“What I saw last night, I would encourage him to not hit at all when he starts the rest of the year,” O’Dowd said. The one thing you want to do with Ohtani more than anything else, you want to keep him healthy. Between now to the end of October you want him healthy in whatever capacity you possibly can.

“He just looked different to me last night. Maybe that’s not facts based, that’s opinion based. But he looked fresher, delivery looked cleaner, I thought the effort in the delivery was cleaner, thought his late action in his pitches was better. Everything about his craft last night took another step.

“If that’s the step and you can hit Dalton Rushing and get him some at-bats in the DH role because the guy’s raking, I think it keeps your roster more in check and it keeps him more healthy through the course of a long season.”

How Has Shohei Ohtani Pitched in 2026?

Ohtani has been fantastic on the mound this season, and until he allowed a run in the fifth inning Wednesday, had the longest streak of innings without allowing an earned run in MLB.

The right-hander made his first start of the season against the Cleveland Guardians, where he threw six scoreless innings against and allowed a single hit. His next start came against the Toronto Blue Jays last week, where he threw six more innings and allowed one unearned run.

On the season, Ohtani has a 0.50 ERA and has 18 strikeouts through as many innings, and is putting together a strong case to be one of the National League’s best pitches.

When is Shohei Ohtani’s Next Start?

The Dodgers get an off day Thursday, and they’ve generally put Ohtani on the mound prior to an off day to give him some extra rest. Their next one doesn’t come for two weeks, though, so he’ll definitely feature in one of their next four series across that span.

Ohtani’s next opponent will likely come against the San Francisco Giants on the road during LA’s three-game series against them from April 21-23.

What do you think of O’Dowd’s take?