The pitcher Shohei Ohtani is back, and so is the thrill of the two-way spectacle. After 22 long months, he’s returned to the mound, and for the Dodgers, it’s like unlocking a secret weapon. If he’s at his best, Ohtani could be the answer to their battered rotation. But while there’s plenty to cheer about, there’s just as much reason to hold your breath. One wrong move, and L.A. risks losing not just a pitcher but their most dangerous bat, too. But worry not, he is in good hands.

After his Tommy John surgery, the Dodgers made sure Ohtani’s return to the mound was taken very slowly. He made his first start in a Dodgers uniform against the Padres on Monday. In his long-awaited pitching debut, they were extra careful; he only threw one inning, 28 pitches. And after that, Ohtani being Ohtani, he was back to bat lead-off in no time. The team is well aware of the risk they’re taking. Now, as he is all set to start for the second time against the Nationals on Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has hinted at possible changes.

 “So we’re just watching and seeing how he reacts, responds,” Roberts told the media before the Nats game. When asked whether he sees a chance for the former MVP to hit elsewhere in the lineup on days when he starts, Roberts answered positively. “Yeah, I can. I can. You know, just today he’s going to throw an inning, potentially, and he’s going to walk up to the on-deck circle and put his stuff on to take the first at-bat. He’s good with it right now, but is there a scenario where I feel that it might be better for him in that first at-bat to kind of reshuffle the lineup to give him one, two, three hitters to get set? Sure, absolutely,” he said. If that’s what it takes to ensure safety, then why not?

Ohtani showed good signs in his first start. He was able to throw 13 pitches at or above 98 MPH, with the fastest clocking in at 100.2 MPH. He allowed one run on two hits and didn’t walk anyone. Ohtani sounded hopeful after the first start: “I did hit 100 today, so I want to see first where my body feels and how it reacts,” he told the media after the 6–3 win over the Padres. “But the expectation is for me to go once a week, hopefully to be able to go a little longer every time I’m out there so that the bullpen won’t be so taxed,” he added.

Of course, the expectations are sky-high. How could they not be? The Dodgers have a long list of elite pitchers on the IL. Given the current situation, Ohtani is their best shot at bouncing back if he can truly unleash his two-way phenom power. He better do it, because Freddie Freeman has already sounded the alarm.

Freddie Freeman admits struggles

The reigning World Champions were outslugged by the Nationals, who sit fourth in the NL East with a 31–45 record, on Saturday night. The Nats hit a total of five homers at Dodger Stadium. Well, that is more than enough to be ashamed of. The Nats beat the NL West leaders 7–3. If anything is to blame, it’s the long list of sidelined pitchers and a rotation that’s clearly on crutches. Dodgers’ star slugger Freddie Freeman couldn’t hide his frustration after the loss.

“I’ve been frustrated about six weeks now, so I mean it’ll click at some point, just keep grinding that long,” Freeman told SportsNet LA. He offered a candid take on the growing cracks in the team’s performance. He didn’t shy away from admitting his struggles either. “I can speak for myself, I haven’t been very good for a while, so just trying to figure it out. Did the net drill many times the last few days, but still not clicking,” he added.

He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts on Saturday night. The first baseman is slashing .322/.392/.527/.919 with nine home runs and 41 RBIs this season. But his current struggles have caused him to slip in the NL batting average rankings. The 35-year-old has fallen from the top of the NL’s batting average charts. In the 19 games played this month, he has only 3 RBIs, no home runs, and 18 strikeouts. He’s well aware of the slump and is looking forward to stepping up in the coming games. Freeman and the Dodgers have only one goal entering the series finale against the Nats: snatch the win.