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Dodgers get first positive returns from pairing of Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker

April 3, 2026

WASHINGTON — All is well.

“Rome is not burning,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts declared after watching each of the first four batters in his lineup hit home runs in a 13-6 rout of the Washington Nationals on Friday.

The heat had turned up – at least from the outside – after cold starts from each of those hitters. The Dodgers particularly envisioned the dynamic pairing of Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker at the top of their lineup powering an offense expected to be among the most productive in MLB.

Through the six-game season-opening homestand, though, that hadn’t happened.

Ohtani started the season 3 for 18 (.167) without an extra-base hit – a frustrating enough start to prompt him to take a rare batting practice session on the field on Wednesday. He was, however, walked seven times – a good news/bad news statistic. He has been on base. But the high walk total is an indication teams are finding it a favorable strategy to pitch around Ohtani.

“I do think he’s getting a little anxious to get some hits,” Roberts said before Friday’s game, acknowledging that Ohtani’s disjointed spring, splitting time between the World Baseball Classic and the Dodgers’ camp, could be “a factor” in his slow start.

Tucker’s own slow start could be a factor in opponents’ avoidance strategy with Ohtani. Tucker was 4 for 23 (.174) on the homestand with nine strikeouts and just two walks. It’s “fair” to question whether Tucker might be pressing after signing a four-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers this winter, Roberts acknowledged.

“Not necessarily,” Tucker said of that. “It’s just trying to feel comfortable in the box and try to put a swing on good pitches.

“I got some decent pitches to hit. I just fouled them off and then got behind in the count and it doesn’t really go my way from there. But just trying to be aggressive in the zone, trying to barrel it up.”

Roberts said he was not about to overreact to a six-game sample. Staying the course became easier with Friday’s breakout. Ohtani hit his first home run of the season in the third inning, added a single and drove in four runs in the game. Tucker had three hits (his first multi-hit game of the season) and his first home run as a Dodger.

Mookie Betts dismissed the idea that the two stars ahead of him in the lineup were frustrated by their slow starts.

“No. I think the frustration is from the outside, not the inside,” Betts said. “We understand you cannot get emotional about it. If we could hit well every day, everybody would be doing it. Everybody goes through their slumps. Everybody goes through their ups and downs. It’s part of the game.”

PIGGYBACK

With Emmet Sheehan starting Friday and Roki Sasaki on Sunday when the chance for a rain delay is high, the Dodgers’ bullpen could find itself with extended innings to cover during the weekend series against the Nationals. But the Dodgers plan to start long reliever Justin Wrobleski during the series in Toronto in order to give each of their starters at least five days of rest between starts.

“We weigh out the value of giving each of our starters an extra day versus not having a safety net, a piggyback for a particular starter,” Roberts said. “I think that, where they’re built up to, the bet is we’ll take that chance with a couple multi-inning relievers all the while giving the starters an extra day and trusting that Justin is built up enough to give us length on his start day too.

“Netting it all out, that’s the decision we made.”

Roberts said Wrobleski could be available for an inning in relief on Sunday. Ben Casparius, another multi-inning reliever, pitched an inning on Friday.

Through the homestand, Sheehan and Sasaki were the only starters that didn’t pitch at least six innings. Sheehan went 3⅓ in his first start, and Sasaki pitched into the fifth but didn’t retire a batter that inning.

Sheehan did pitch into the sixth inning Friday. But having two starters in the rotation who don’t go deeper in the game would be “not sustainable,” Roberts said.

“Ideally, you’d like to carry none,” he said. “Guys are going to have bad games and go short. That’s going to happen with all starters, most starters. Emmet’s a guy certainly that is physical. He is neutral (vs. right- and left-handed batters). He should be able to take down innings. With Roki, we got off to a good start his first one. And I think for me, once we kind of get his footing in the season, I feel confident pushing him more.

“But truth be told, I don’t want any of those guys (who can’t pitch deep into games). When you’re a starter, part of the deal is you’ve got to log innings. It’s part of the hallmark of starters and Emmet and Roki have got to graduate to that point.”

ALSO

Right-hander River Ryan is scheduled to make his season debut for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday. It will be his first official start since Tommy John surgery in August 2024.

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Dodgers (RHP Tyler Glasnow, 0-0, 3.00 ERA) at Nationals (RHP Jake Irvin, 1-0, 3.00 ERA), Saturday, 1:05 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM

Orange County Register

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Dodgers get first positive returns from pairing of Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker

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