Red-hot Shohei Ohtani Drives Dodgers into Monday's Showdown with Rays

It's safe to say that Shohei Ohtani has left his season-opening slump in the past.

With a torrid bat, the four-time MVP is looking to keep rolling as the Dodgers and Rays open a three-game series from Dodger Stadium on Monday night. First pitch is set for 10:10 p.m. ET (7:10 p.m. PT), and the game will air exclusively on ESPN.

The Dodgers and Rays enter the start of their three-game series with two of the five best records in baseball.

Ohtani returned to the L.A. lineup on Saturday following a one-game absence due to left knee inflammation and immediately made an impact, smashing his 14th home run of the season on the second pitch from White Sox starting pitcher Sean Burke.

Since May 12, Ohtani has been nearly unbeatable, posting a .410 batting average and a 1.286 OPS, the best among qualified hitters. In that span, he's also tallied eight home runs and 25 RBIs.

The Rays will look to slow Ohtani down behind the veteran starting pitcher Nick Martinez, who has been phenomenal in his 13 starts this season. Martinez is 6-2 with a 2.43 ERA, allowing three runs or fewer in all but one start. Most impressively, the Rays are 10-3 when Martinez takes the mound.

However, Ohtani has enjoyed hitting against the Rays, boasting a .364 batting average, a 1.213 OPS, and 11 home runs in 32 career games against the team.

One of Ohtani's most iconic moments came against the Rays, a walk-off grand slam on August 23, 2024, which cemented his place in baseball history.