Shohei Ohtani shines in two-way debut for Los Angeles Dodgers

LOS ANGELES: Shohei Ohtani made a stunning start to his 2026 campaign on Tuesday, excelling both on the mound and at the plate as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cleveland Guardians 4-1 here at Dodger Stadium.

After finishing six scoreless innings and allowing just one hit with six strikeouts, Ohtani quickly switched roles to lead off the bottom of the fifth, drawing a walk, his second of three times on base in the game. 

It marked the official beginning of his first full two-way season in three years.

Ohtani, determined to capture the elusive award, has been meticulous in his preparation, despite not pitching until late in spring training.

"It's just good to be able to start the game, go through six under a limited pitch count even in this condition," Ohtani said through an interpreter. "I'm going to charge it to experience."

He added that while today’s performance highlighted areas for improvement, particularly in consistency, he felt more relaxed and confident compared to last season.

"Looking back at today's outing specifically, that wasn't necessarily the case, so that's something I want to work on," Ohtani said. "But compared to last season, I felt more loose and easy."

His outing featured a mix of rarely used curveballs, a high-velocity fastball reaching 99.2 mph, and an effective splitter that generated five swings and misses.

He retired the first seven batters in order, conceding his only hit in the fourth inning. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised his composure.

Ohtani’s recent experience reacclimatising to a two-way role has contributed to his confidence on the mound.

With this performance, Ohtani has set the tone for a season in which he aims to dominate both as a hitter and a pitcher.