Shohei Ohtani has blister, but Dodgers confident it’s a non-issue

PHOENIX –– Shohei Ohtani’s sub-1.00 ERA so far this season is even more impressive than it initially appeared.

Turns out, the two-way star has been nursing a small blister on the inside of his right middle finger.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has a small blister on the inside of his right middle finger. AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

The good news: The blister does not appear to be much of an issue.

In a scoreless six-inning start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night, Ohtani was seen picking at his finger during the outing. A close-up photo of his hand later emerged from when he was sitting in the dugout.

However, manager Dave Roberts said he “didn’t hear too much about it after the game” and “don’t expect it to affect him going forward.”

“He’s dealt with it for the last couple starts,” Roberts said. “Thomas [Albert, the team’s head trainer] just kind of gives me information on how he’s feeling. And every time I’ve asked, it’s been a non-issue.”

Asked specifically if the blister was to blame for Ohtani’s recently inconsistent command –– he had walked eight total batters in his three previous starts before Wednesday, when he issued just one free pass –– Roberts again downplayed its impact.

“I don’t think so,” Roberts said. “When his command has been off, I think it’s a bigger thing than just a blister. Because it’s a small blister, it’s small. That’s just when his mechanics are out of whack.”

Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani has a 0.74 ERA through his first 10 starts this season. Getty Images

Despite all that, Ohtani has continued his dominant start to the year on the mound, returning to full-time pitching duties with a nearly historic 0.74 ERA through his first 10 starts.

“He’s the best player that’s ever walked this earth,” catcher Will Smith said after Wednesday’s game.

Ohtani was out of the Dodgers’ lineup for Thursday’s series finale against the Dbacks, getting the kind of scheduled day off that might become more common the days following his pitching starts.

“Just the overall body soreness and fatigue is something that, if we can manage that, it kind of gives us a chance to get through the next days after,” Roberts said earlier this week.

At the start of the year, the Dodgers had attempted a different strategy to manage Ohtani’s two-way workload, keeping him out of the batting order in three of his early-season pitching outings before having him DH again the day after.

But last month, the club changed course, keeping Ohtani out of the lineup as DH for both his May 13 pitching start and the day immediately after. In each of his three pitching starts since then, he has played both ways, then gotten rest the day after.

“I think him knowing he’s down tomorrow is mentally freeing going into tonight,” Roberts said before Wednesday’s game, when Ohtani also reached base five times as a hitter (three singles, two walks) to push his batting average back over .300. “So, there is some value in him knowing he can empty the tank and know that he doesn’t have to go to it tomorrow as well.