Shohei Ohtani’s Batting Struggles Draw Sharp Reactions From Fans: “Been a Total Liability”

Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-4 in Game 2 and struck out 2 times as the Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2.

Shohei Ohtani’s Batting Struggles Draw Sharp Reactions From Fans: “Been a Total Liability”

Shohei Ohtani (Image via Imago)

On Sunday, Shohei Ohtani once again struggled with the bat as the Los Angeles Dodgers lost 3-2 in Game 2 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) against the Atlanta Braves. Following the game, the Japanese international faced some flak from the fans on social media.

The 2026 campaign has been a down year for Ohtani. After a good start, he battled injuries and gave up on pitching before the All-Star Game.

In the second half of the season, the 4-time MVP has played just as the designated hitter (DH). He has also been on the injured list as he battled injuries to his left knee, right biceps, neck, and left hip.

These injuries have taken a major toll on his body. He has not produced much with the bat, hitting .179 with 5 hits in his last 7 games.

In Game 1, he had just 1 hit in 4 at-bats. Home runs from Teoscar Hernandez, Kyle Tucker, and Max Muncy saw them win 5-3 and take a 1-0 lead on Saturday.

Sunday saw Ohtani register just 1 hit once again. He went 1-for-4 with 2 strikeouts as his team lost 3-2.

Ohtani’s struggles in batting can be summed up with this stat. In his last 89 plate appearances, he has just 1 RBI.

As shocking as it sounds, this is true. Since August 18, Ohtani has managed to drive in just 1 run in his 89 plate appearances. This one RBI came against the San Diego Padres earlier this year.

For someone who has hit more than 50 home runs in the past two seasons, this stat is worrisome. Compared to September 2024, he had 30 RBIs in the span of 80 plate appearances.

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Social media reacts to Shohei Ohtani’s recent batting struggles

Shohei Ohtani has not been at his best in recent times. His injury struggles have severely affected his batting form, leading to some concerns among the Dodgers fanbase.

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani (Image via X/@UnderdogMLB)

The wild stat of him having just 1 RBI in his last 89 plate appearances drew some sharp reactions on X. Many fans called him out and urged the team to put him aside and give someone else a chance. One user wrote, “he’s been a total liability,” while making their feelings known.

Check out that and some other reactions from X below:

Despite his struggles, he will be in the lineup in Game 3. The series will now shift to Atlanta as the 2-time defending champions travel to Truist Park and hope to bounce back on Tuesday.

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Dave Roberts claims Shohei Ohtani is chasing too many pitches

Shohei Ohtani did not have a good game on Sunday as he went 1-for-4 with 2 strikeouts. In the press conference after the game, Dave Roberts claimed that the 2-way star was chasing too many pitches.

Shohei Ohtani and Dave Roberts
Shohei Ohtani and Dave Roberts (Image via X/@UnderdogMLB/MLB)

In the 7th inning of the game, he worked a 3-2 count against Didier Fuentes. The Braves star then threw a pitch that was way below the strike zone. Instead of letting it go, Ohtani chased it and ended up striking out. Had he not swung the bat, he would have earned a walk.

This is something Roberts pointed out in the press conference. The manager expressed that he was getting a lot of pitches that he had to chase.

I think if you look at the at-bats, there’s a lot of chase. It’s hard to square up and put good swings on balls that are out of the zone. That’s kind of what it boils down to.

Dave Roberts said regarding Shohei Ohtani as per Matthew Moreno

When asked if he was having some health concerns, Roberts claimed he was feeling “fine.”

The Dodgers will be hoping for a turnaround in his form as the series shifts to Game 3. 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be on the mound for them and go up against Chris Sale.

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