Shohei Ohtani's Resilient Performance on the Mound Ends in Surprise Pinch-Hit Opportunity

Shohei Ohtani took to the mound, easing concerns about his left knee as he cruised through the first four innings against the Rays on Wednesday afternoon.

The fifth inning proved to be his toughest, with Tampa Bay handing him his most challenging inning of the 2026 campaign.

Ohtani conceded a season-high four earned runs, all scoring in the fifth inning, before the Dodgers secured a comeback victory. He struck out five, walked one, and allowed a season-high seven hits across six innings, increasing his ERA to 1.47.

Although not in the starting lineup, Ohtani pinch-hit for designated hitter Miguel Rojas in the sixth inning, grounding out on the first pitch as the crowd roared in anticipation.

This marked the first time Ohtani has allowed multiple earned runs in back-to-back pitching starts. Wednesday also saw him give up more than one run in an inning for the second time this year.

Ohtani is managing residual soreness in his left knee, which caused him to miss a game as a hitter last Friday. Despite questions about his pitching mechanics, he took the mound as scheduled on Wednesday.

After a strong start, Ohtani walked Victor Mesa Jr. to open the fifth. Former Dodger Hunter Feduccia followed with a line-drive double, and Taylor Walls got the Rays on the board with a sacrifice fly.

The next five Rays batters reached base, with Yandy Díaz tying the game with an RBI single. Ohtani threw 26 pitches in the fifth inning, aggravating a blister on his pitching hand before returning for a 1-2-3 sixth inning.

Ohtani's overall pitch count remained low, allowing him to close out the inning and secure the Dodgers' victory.