Los Angeles Dodgers Face Fan Backlash After Columnist Criticizes Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani finished his third Major League Baseball season with the Los Angeles Dodgers following a National League Championship Series exit, prompting an aggressive critique from Los Angeles Times reporter Bill Plaschke over the player’s two-way role. Plaschke argued in a published column that the team should permanently remove Ohtani from the pitching mound, writing that tangible evidence this year proved he could not handle the dual responsibilities of a full-time pitcher and hitter.
During the season, Ohtani made 14 pitching appearances with an 8-2 record, a 1.79 ERA, and 95 strikeouts. As a hitter, he played 135 games with a .275 batting average, 30 home runs, and 81 RBIs, though those power numbers dipped from his 2025 totals of 55 home runs and 102 RBIs.
Injuries and Postseason Struggles Shape the Debate
Ohtani sustained a right upper arm injury that kept him off the mound after his July 3 start. He also dealt with left knee inflammation, which landed him on the injured list on September 11. Although he returned on September 23, his postseason performance dropped across eight games as he hit .192 with one home run and three RBIs.
Citing those physical setbacks and the postseason offensive slump, Plaschke wrote that if Ohtani insists on continuing what he labeled a harmful circus, the front office must seriously consider trading him.
Dodgers Fans and Media Push Back Against Trade Proposal
The column immediately triggered intense pushback from Dodgers supporters across social media, who dismissed the trade notion as absurd and defended Ohtani’s right to pitch. Critics online argued that no one should end his two-way career, dismissed the article as unreadable, and questioned the timing of the columnist’s remarks.
Dodgers Nation reporter Doug McCain also rejected the premise, stating that the issue is not Ohtani pitching itself, but rather how the club plans backward toward the postseason. McCain noted that if the franchise fails to sign Tarik Skubal, the team will need Ohtani on the mound in October more than ever.
Friedman Says Ohtani Has No Scheduled Surgeries
Since joining the franchise, Ohtani has helped capture consecutive World Series titles, though the club fell short in this year’s National League Championship Series. Dodgers President Andrew Friedman stated that Ohtani currently has no surgical procedures scheduled for his right upper arm or left knee after dealing with those injuries throughout the year.
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