“The hits, the slug, all that stuff will happen" - Dodgers manager Dave Roberts unfazed by Shohei Ohtani's slow offensive start this season

The Los Angeles Dodgers have gotten off to a great start to the 2024 season, but it's largely been no thanks to Shohei Ohtani. He's been far from bad, but he has not quite lived up to the billing yet. He has as many strikeouts as hits and just three RBI to his name. Dave Roberts isn't remotely concerned about it, though.

Roberts is fairly positive that things will turn around quickly (Via Dodgers Nation):

“He’s just so talented. The hits, the slug, all that stuff will happen… the most important thing is that he’s healthy and seeing the baseball well.”

Ohtani has also echoed this sentiment himself. He's not playing well, but he feels like he's seeing the ball well. Timing and more have to get right before he can start slugging again, but neither he nor his manager is concerned.

In the meantime, the Dodgers offense has hardly missed a beat. Mookie Betts is an early and strong candidate for NL MVP. Will Smith has been blistering at the plate so far. Once Ohtani gets going as both he and Roberts believe he will, things will be even more frustrating for Dodger opponents.

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Shohei Ohtani getting off to a slow start

Shohei Ohtani had a full spring and he played pretty well, but some players just start slower in the regular season. He's far from the only superstar who hasn't been hitting all that well to start. Aaron Judge, Nolan Arenado, and a few others are in Ohtani's boat.

Shohei Ohtani is off to a slower start

They all have supreme talent, which eventually wins out in baseball. Ohtani will pretty soon be mashing the baseball once again. He will also experience the ebbs and flows of a season, so he will undoubtedly have some hot and cold streaks throughout the remaining 155 games the Dodgers have to play.

Hardly any ballplayer is immune to a cold streak, and some of them just happen at the very beginning of the season. For Ohtani, that's what he's experiencing now, and everyone in the building is confident that it will end.