Dodgers international superstar Shohei Ohtani is good for baseball. If you don’t think so, just check the attendance numbers whenever the visiting Dodgers roll into town and the number of cellphone cameras that come out whenever he steps up to the plate. And though baseball fans across the country will never admit it out loud and boo him mercilessly during those plate appearances, the truth of the matter is that they came to see our generation’s Babe Ruth do Ruthian things, period.

Unfortunately, ‘Babe’ Ohtani is currently in a bit of a slump as the Dodgers everyday designated hitter and leadoff batter, even though he is currently slashing a ridiculous .317/.402/.635/1.037 with a National League-leading 28 home runs and 72 runs scored, and an MLB-leading 224 total bases.

How can this possibly be considered “a bit of a slump” for the (now) four-time All-Star, two-time MLB MVP, and future first-ballot Hall of Famer, you ask?

Unfortunately, and despite those Ruthian numbers, in his last ten games, the extremely popular 30-year-old Oshu, Japan native, who the Dodgers signed to a record 10-year/$700 million contract this past December, is 10-for-44 (.227), with two home runs, one double, one triple, four RBIs, five runs scored, walked four times, and struck out 18 times. While guys like Chris Taylor (.156), James Outman (.158), and Cavan Biggio (.189) would kill for these numbers, they are not Shohei Ohtani-esque numbers, suggesting that perhaps he is (Heaven forbid) dealing with some yet-to-be-disclosed injury.

The Dodgers only run in their 5-1 loss to the NL East first-place Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday came on a fifth-inning leadoff solo home run by Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux to make it a then 2-1 ball game. Unfortunately, it was one of only five Dodgers hits on the day, as Philadelphia completed a three-game sweep of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts‘ NL West-leading team.

“You know, we were outplayed,” Roberts told reporters postgame. “I hate to say you gotta play perfect baseball to win, but it’s seeming like that.”

With all due respect to the nine-year Dodgers manager, when playing the team with the best record in the MLB and a team you may very well meet in the 2024 NLCS, “…you gotta play [and manage] perfect baseball to win.” The Phillies certainly did.

Getting back to Ohtani, it bears repeating that there has been no mention that he is dealing with an injury, none whatsoever. That said, it certainly appears that something is going on with the guy that everyone is coming to see – whether they admit it or not.

Play Ball!

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