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Baseball has never seen a player quite like Shohei Ohtani. Not in the modern era of the game, at the very least.
Injuries have held him back in some seasons, but when he's been healthy, Ohtani's simultaneously been one of the most feared sluggers in the league, and a flame-throwing pitcher who can shut down an entire lineup. When he came to MLB in 2018, there were doubts about whether he could dominate as a two-way star. But he's proved all doubters wrong.
Ohtani's presence as a budding superstar, arguably the most talented player MLB has ever had, required the league to accommodate more for two-way talents. In fact, there's a newer rule regarding two-way players' utilization that has been deemed the "Shohei Ohtani rule," as it typically only applies to the Los Angeles Dodgers megastar.
Here's what to know about the "Shohei Ohtani rule" that allows him to hit on days he's also pitching.
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What is the Shohei Ohtani rule?
In 2022, MLB introduced a rule that has since been referred to as the "Shohei Ohtani rule" — the league didn't actually create it just for him, but his status as baseball's only two-way player meant it would only apply to him.
The rule is centered around a two-way player's ability to hit through an entire game, even when they are removed as the pitcher. It was introduced around the same time that MLB was transitioning to full-time designated hitters for both leagues, abandoning pitchers automatically being in the lineup.
In the past, when a starting pitcher in the American League was also in the starting lineup, that meant the team's designated hitter spot was automatically forfeited. So, when the pitcher left the game, his spot in the batting order was vacated for the relief pitcher (or a pinch hitter).
Under the 2022 MLB rule, which also applies to the postseason, a pitcher is allowed to remain in the game as a designated hitter even when they are removed as the starting pitcher. The one key distinction: it only applies to the starting pitcher, not relievers.
Ohtani is MLB's lone two-way player (for now), so the rule meant he was able to start a game on the mound, be his team's designated hitter, then continue hitting once he was pulled as the pitcher. Ohtani has never pitched in relief, but in that case, his bat could not be utilized in the Dodgers' lineup — he would not be allowed to enter the game as a reliever with the team holding onto its DH spot. To stay in the lineup in that scenario, Ohtani would have to move into the field.
There are also technicalities under the "Shohei Ohtani rule" that would allow him (or any two-way player) to start a game as a pitcher, be removed for a reliever while remaining the designated hitter, then return later in the game as a reliever, forfeiting the team’s DH spot.
Shohei Ohtani rule definition
Here is MLB's official "Shohei Ohtani rule," otherwise known as rule 5.11(b), according to Baseball Rules Academy:
“Starting Pitcher as Designated Hitter. It is not mandatory that a Club designate a hitter for the pitcher. However, in the event the starting pitcher will bat for himself, the player will be considered two separate people for purposes of Rule 5.11(a). In such cases, the manager should list 10 players on his team’s lineup card, and this player should be named twice – once as the starting pitcher and once as the Designated Hitter. Thus, if the starting pitcher is replaced, he can continue as the Designated Hitter (but can no longer pitch in the game), and if the Designated Hitter is replaced, he can continue as the pitcher (but can no longer hit for himself). If the player is simultaneously replaced both as a starting pitcher and Designated Hitter, he cannot be replaced by another two‑way player filling both roles as separate people (this can be done only once on the initial lineup card by identifying that the starting pitcher will bat for himself).”
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Why did MLB create the Shohei Ohtani rule?
MLB was already undergoing some massive rule changes in 2022 — expanded rosters, the universal designated hitter, "ghost runners" in extra innings, etc. By then, Ohtani had established himself as a premier two-way player. But the Los Angeles Angels had been disadvantaged, in some ways, on days when Ohtani pitched.
Under the previous rules, the DH position was the only spot in the batting order in which substitutions and double-switches were not permitted. When Ohtani was pitching for the Angels prior to the rule change, he would typically be the team's DH until he was pulled as the pitcher, then he would have to the outfield to stay in the lineup. The Angels would abandon their DH spot in the process, as the new pitcher had to hit.
The Angels, or any team that had Ohtani or a two-way player, were at a disadvantage for utilizing those talents, so the new rule was implemented. It was never a change MLB had to consider previously, as there weren't any two-way talents in the modern era — and with the universal DH also being implemented, the timing of the rule change fit in.
As a result of the change, Ohtani's talents could be maximized as a star hitter and pitcher, also opening the door for more two-way players in the future.
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Does Shohei Ohtani hit when he pitches?
Yes, Shohei Ohtani hits on days that he also pitches. He has the designation of a two-way player on the Dodgers' roster, meaning he is able to remain a designated hitter for an entire game, even when he is pulled as a pitcher.
When he was healing from elbow surgery, Ohtani was a designated hitter 100 percent of the time, unable to get back on the mound. But once he was healthy enough to pitch for the Dodgers in the 2025 season, Los Angeles could capitalize on the "Shohei Ohtani rule" by having his bat and his arm on days he was the scheduled starter.
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What position does Shohei Ohtani play?
Shohei Ohtani is a two-way player, so he technically plays multiple positions: starting pitcher and designated hitter. He has historically always been a starter, never pitching in relief in his MLB career. Offensively, he's also heavily been a DH — the position allows him to rest and focus solely on hitting on days he's not pitching.
However, during his time with the Angels, Ohtani did play in the outfield a few times, mostly because the "Shohei Ohtani rule" was not yet created. Since the 2022 rule change, Ohtani has not made an appearance in the outfield.
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