Not only are the days of Shohei Ohtani struggling with the bat in 2026 gone, but his overall production makes you question if that was ever an actual period of this season in the first place. Ohtani has particularly enjoyed this series against the Diamondbacks—recording multi-hit performances in each of the first three games, dominating in the leadoff spot, and on the mound on Wednesday—and why wouldn’t he? It’s hard to tell what is more impressive, that Ohtani has a slugging percentage above .700
in 21 games at Chase Field or that it is one of six ballparks in which he has a slugging percentage that high with at least 13 games.
No matter how great you are, though, there is always room for growth, and for Ohtani, this specific game presents that opportunity. One of the rare Arizona pitchers who has given Ohtani some trouble is Ryne Nelson, today’s starter—something especially surprising when you consider Nelson has been solid but unspectacular throughout Ohtani’s tenure with the Dodgers; the D-Backs starter has a 3.99 ERA over the last three seasons.
Ohtani trails only Freddie Freeman in career at-bats against Nelson, having faced him 15 times, recording just two hits and no RBI. Fifteen at-bats hardly define a matchup, but given Ohtani’s obscene numbers at Chase Field, it’s at the very least a mild surprise. Normally, one might even be inclined to argue for an off night given the inhuman efforts from Ohtani in last night’s win, delivering six scoreless innings and driving in three as the leadoff hitter. However, as hot as he is right now, the Dodgers will happily push back on that possibility, aiming to win their third straight out in the desert.
Thursday’s game info
- Teams: Dodgers at Diamondbacks
- Ballpark: Chase Field, Phoenix
- Start time: 6:40 p.m. PT
- TV: SportsNet LA
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
