Shohei Ohtani is starting to struggle on the mound

This season, Shohei Ohtani is definitely back as a starting pitcher. We saw him return last year starting in the middle of the season, but that was mostly in a limited role.

But in 2026, he has truly returned to his role as a starting pitcher.

And even though Ohtani doesn't necessarily go deep into his starts, he's had an excellent start to the season. In his first 10 starts of the season, he allowed just five earned runs.

Except that over his last two starts, things have been a lot tougher for the Japanese pitcher. He allowed three earned runs to the Pirates last week… before giving up four to the Rays yesterday.

And given that he's recently developed blisters on his hand, one has to wonder just how much this is affecting his performance.

Ohtani is still having an incredible season on the mound overall. The Japanese pitcher has a 1.47 ERA in 12 starts in 2026, but his last two outings are cause for some concern.

In fact, it's mainly the condition of his hand that's causing concern. We know that blisters can be problematic for a pitcher and aren't necessarily easy to prevent.

It will be interesting to see if Ohtani, who pitches only once a week, will have his workload adjusted by the Dodgers. We know the team's priority is to be in peak form in October, and ensuring that Ohtani is in top health by then might require an adjusted workload.

Because even though Ohtani claims it doesn't affect him, there are reasons to believe it's a factor behind his two recent, somewhat more difficult outings. And seeing him pitch with a bloodied finger isn't exactly reassuring.

• Enjoy the show.

• Blue Jays win.

• Andrew Painter in the AAA.

• Tyler Heineman to Anaheim.

Created by humans, assisted by AI.