Dodgers Weekly Recap: Ohtani Struggles to Match Bonds' Patience at the Plate

Shohei Ohtani's early-season slump serves as a reminder of the challenges facing even the game's best players.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 9:20pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a baseball game in abstract shapes and colors, with no recognizable players or field elements, conveying the conceptual idea of a star player struggling against a team's strategic approach.Ohtani's struggles against the Guardians' pitching expose the challenges even the game's best players face in adjusting to opposing strategies.Los Angeles Today

In the Dodgers' recent series against the Guardians, Shohei Ohtani struggled to match the patience and plate discipline of former Giants star Barry Bonds, as teams have been pitching around the two-way phenom. Meanwhile, Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages has emerged as the team's hottest hitter in the early going, and closer Edwin Díaz has provided stability in the ninth inning.

Why it matters

Ohtani's early-season slump highlights the challenges facing even the game's most dominant players, as teams work to neutralize their impact by pitching around them. The Dodgers' ability to weather Ohtani's struggles and get production from other sources like Pages will be crucial to their success this season.

The details

In the Dodgers' series against the Guardians, Ohtani grounded into a double play in a key situation and later struck out swinging on a pair of breaking balls, as the Guardians opted not to challenge him. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was reminded of his former teammate, Barry Bonds, who was famously patient at the plate and often saw limited pitches to hit. Roberts believes Ohtani, who likes to swing the bat, would 'go crazy' if he faced a similar level of selectivity from opposing pitchers.

  • On Wednesday, with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning and the Dodgers having men on first and second, Ohtani grounded into a double play.
  • Two innings later, with the Dodgers down by four runs but having runners on second and third, Ohtani struck out swinging on a pair of breaking balls.

The players

Shohei Ohtani

The two-way star of the Los Angeles Angels, who has struggled to find his rhythm at the plate in the early part of the 2026 season.

Barry Bonds

The former San Francisco Giants star, who was known for his patience and ability to draw walks, setting the single-season record with 232 walks in 2004.

Dave Roberts

The current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who played with Barry Bonds on the Giants in 2007.

Andy Pages

The Dodgers' third-year slugger, who has emerged as the team's hottest hitter in the early part of the 2026 season.

Edwin Díaz

The Dodgers' new $69 million closer, who has provided stability in the ninth inning after the team struggled in that role last season.

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What they’re saying

“From the side, it looked like a good pitch and he just hit the top of it.”

— Dave Roberts, Dodgers Manager

“I think Barry was as patient and as good as anyone I've seen that can take walks, value walks. Yeah, there were times where he got a handful of pitches a week to hit. Shohei's certainly not to that extreme of patience, but he's doing a good job.”

— Dave Roberts, Dodgers Manager

“Shohei likes to swing the bat. Shohei would go crazy.”

— Dave Roberts, Dodgers Manager

The takeaway

Ohtani's early-season struggles serve as a reminder that even the game's most dominant players face challenges in adjusting to the strategies of opposing teams. The Dodgers will need to find ways to support Ohtani and get production from other sources, much like they did with Barry Bonds during his later years, in order to maintain their success this season.