Dave Roberts Made The Right Call Giving Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani A Rare Day Off

Didn’t hit. Didn’t pitch.

But that didn’t make Shohei Ohtani not nan story.

On nan contrary. Seeing him chillin’ successful a Dodger-blue hoodie — and not dressed for occurrence successful his achromatic location azygous apical — was nan astir striking portion of nan Dodgers’ 5-2 victory complete nan San Francisco Giants connected Thursday astatine Dodger Stadium.

Back connected Tuesday, earlier nan Dodgers’ 4th consecutive loss, pinch Ohtani having recorded conscionable 4 hits successful 36 at-bats, head Dave Roberts announced plans to chair baseball’s champion player.

To get him immoderate R&R — remainder and reset. “A bully spa day,” Roberts would joke Thursday.

Of course, it’s Ohtani, truthful overmuch is being made of nan much-needed breather.

Dodgers two-way subordinate Shohei Ohtani rounds nan bases aft hitting a solo location tally Tuesday astatine Dodger Stadium.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

Maybe you dislike it. Maybe you dislike it for him. Maybe you deliberation a $700 cardinal statement doesn’t relationship for days off. Maybe you were among nan unfortunate 51,048 paying customers who came to watch nan Dodgers moreover their bid pinch nan Giants without Ohtani’s help, and you’re sad astir it.

Maybe, though, you should springiness Roberts nan use of nan doubt. Maybe you should punctual yourself Ohtani isn’t actually a unicorn. Not a myth, but a man.

“Mentally, nan days that he does pitch, it’s tougher connected him [to besides hit],” Roberts said Thursday. “Physically, it’s nan time after.”

And truthful nan head wasn’t joking; he wasn’t juking. Even aft Ohtani homered for nan first clip successful 53 sheet appearances successful Tuesday’s 6-2 loss, Roberts stuck pinch nan scheme and gave his superstar a full time disconnected Thursday aft having him only transportation nan nighttime before.

Only. As successful that he only pitched 7 scoreless innings, only struck retired 8 and only lowered his ERA to a major-league starring 0.82. Yes, he only teed up nan Dodgers for a 4-0 victory. An honestly exceptional day’s activity for anyone else.

Then connected Thursday, Ohtani contributed only vibes.

Which was weird. Which was good.

Instead of swinging a bat, Ohtani served arsenic nan welcoming committee aft Will Smith led disconnected nan crippled pinch a location run. Ohtani was later an accessory to Smith’s prank filling Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s hood pinch wrapped pieces of bubble gum. And still, for nan 2nd consecutive crippled without him successful nan lineup, nan Dodgers (26-18) vanished nan job.

For each of their caller scuffing and shuffling, these loaded, baseball-ruining Dodgers should beryllium capable to past an Ohtani skip time each truthful often.

Even without Ohtani aliases Mookie Betts, a lineup pinch Smith, Freddie Freeman, Kyle Tucker, Andy Pages, Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernández should beryllium capable to overpower nan lowly Giants, who person been outscored by 45 runs and now are 18-26.

Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani laughs pinch teammates while sitting successful nan dugout earlier a crippled against nan Giants Thursday.

(Ryan Sun / Ap Photo/ryan Sun)

But possibly you think: Here nan Dodgers spell again, making it excessively complicated, being excessively cute. They’re backmost to being excessively cautious, excessively careful.

But don’t deliberation of it arsenic load management. Consider it plus management.

The Dodgers are going to protect their unit from arsenic overmuch deterioration and tear arsenic imaginable — and from themselves.

Obviously, Ohtani — who came into nan play appearing to really covet nan Cy Young award — is tin of multidimensional greatness. He’s nan Him who closed retired nan National League Championship Series pinch a wildest-dream-exceeding, 10-strikeout, three-home tally game.

But it’s important that nan Dodgers don’t fto nan 31-year-old pain himself out.

“The point is pinch each players, erstwhile you get to a constituent wherever you’re exhausted and tired and that’s successful nan mediate of nan summer, it’s reliable to recoup,” Roberts said. “So you benignant of person to cognize really to push them but not get to nan reddish statement point. If we tin benignant of clasp and get a bully rhythm, which I deliberation we’re getting a bully grasp connected now, past we’ll person much of a base, a instauration to push him erstwhile nan clip is right. It’s surely not correct now.”

Roberts said Ohtani is sharing successful these decisions. If location are days that Roberts feels for illustration Ohtani would use from a time off, he’s fixed nan head his blessing.

Sometimes little is more, moreover for nan feline who tin do it all.