Sports
How hitting with runners in scoring position has been Shohei Ohtani's one Dodgers flaw
The timing was coincidental.
But, on Shohei Ohtani’s first off day as a Dodger, the discourse Wednesday centered on the one big struggle of his 2024 season — a weakness that had cropped up once again the night before.
When there hasn’t been a baserunner at second or third base season, Ohtani has been the best hitter in baseball. He is batting an MLB-best .398 in such spots. His .774 slugging percentage is more than 100 points better than all but two other players.
When the Dodgers need to start a rally, the $700 million signing is often their most potent spark.
However, with runners in scoring position over the first month of the year, the slugger’s production has unexpectedly cratered, leading to a trend of frustratingly empty key at-bats.
With RISP, Ohtani is batting just .184 (seven for 38) with a .237 slugging percentage. Of the 14 big leaguers with at least 35 such at-bats, he is the only one with less than 10 RBIs. And, somewhat amazingly, he has driven more runs without RISP (10, including all seven of his home runs) than with RISP (nine).
The two latest examples came in a Tuesday loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, when Ohtani struck out in the fifth inning with runners on second and third, then almost hit into an inning-ending double-play in the top of the 10th, having to use his speed to beat a throw to first and prolong the inning — one that still resulted in only one Dodgers run, before the Diamondbacks scored twice in the bottom half for a walk-off win.
“Certainly, there was some opportunities,” manager Dave Roberts said a day later, after — in what he insisted was an unrelated decision — deciding to give Ohtani his first day off. “But, I don’t want to say [it was him taking a] step back.”
Maybe in the context of this season, it wasn’t.
But, compared to his past three seasons with the Angels, when producing in situational at-bats was one of the two-time MVP‘s signature strengths, Ohtani’s struggles this year have thus far been confounding.
From 2021-2023, Ohtani was one of MLB’s best hitters with RISP. He batted .305 in those situations, the 22nd-best mark in the majors in that span. He slugged .689, easily the best mark among big-league hitters.
On the surface, the explanations for this year’s regression seem simple.
Compared to his non-RISP at-bats, Ohtani swings more frequently (56% with RISP, 43% without) and chases more often (31.5% with RISP, 26.5% without) with a chance to drive in runs.
It has led to shorter at-bats (he sees 3.5 pitchers per plate appearance with RISP, and 4.2 without) and, despite a decreased in strikeouts, an also slightly lower walk rate (9.1% with RISP, 10.5% without).
Whenever he does come up empty on a pitch outside the strike zone, it’s easy for fans and media members to identify in real-time.
“Shohei is as aggressive as those bees were,” Roberts said, jokingly referring to the swarm of bees that delayed Tuesday’s game. “Hitters [like him] want to hit … They want to hit in big spots.”
Shohei Ohtani was given a day off for the first time this season, though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was quick to point out it wasn’t because of his struggles with runners in scoring position.
(Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)
It’s just that, this year, he almost seemed to want to do so too badly too many times.
There is an important caveat to all this, though: Ohtani’s approach with RISP this year hasn’t seemed to differ much from what he did in Anaheim.
From 2021 to 2023, Ohtani swung with RISP almost 53% of the time, only slightly less than this year. He would chase pitches at a 35% rate, slightly more often than the opening month of this season.
Such aggression is evidently by design. When asked about his RISP approach a couple weeks ago, Ohtani acknowledged through his interpreter that “the zone that I am swinging is a little bit larger with runners in scoring position.”
Opponents, after all, are more likely to pitch around him with RISP. If he wants to “move the ball forward,” as Roberts likes to say, it requires hitting pitches not directly over the heart of the plate.
“Certainly,” Roberts said, “he feels like he’s the best option to drive in a run.”
Of course, as the manager conceded, that does give pitchers a way to exploit Ohtani, tempting him with offerings out of the zone he sometimes shouldn’t be chasing.
Yet, at the same time, Roberts said, “I think his DNA … is to want to swing the bat.” Which, in the manager’s opinion, “is still a good thing.”
So how does Ohtani get better with runners in scoring position?
Given his track record, the answer might not be as obvious as being more selective with his approach at the plate.
Sure, Roberts said, Ohtani needs to keep improving his plate discipline — a trait he has highlighted as a key to the slugger’s strong start to the year overall.
But, just as important, is for Ohtani to simply execute better when swinging outside the zone, and replicate the productive aggressiveness he honed in years past.
That could mean more consistency with his mechanics. It could mean trying to hit the ball the other way more often, something he has not done nearly as much with RISP this year compared to the past.
Whatever the case, his approach in clutch moments will continue to attract scrutiny — serving as the one place this year to poke holes in his game.
“I did see some more expanding than he has done in let’s say the last, seven to 10 games,” Roberts said of an ever-evolving process. “But I think in general, he’s been in a good spot.”
Trump says there’s ‘no time frame’ to secure Iran deal
Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Tom Weiler joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iranian conflict continues and react to Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., criticism of the president.
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Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.
The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.
Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.
“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.
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Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.
WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”
John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
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He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”
Thousand-dollar tickets and hundreds of dollars in fees shocked some hopeful Olympic fans this month, but they did not keep LA28 from boasting strong sales in the committee’s first ticket drop.
LA28 announced Thursday that it sold more than 4 million Olympic tickets during the first ticket drop. The private organizing committee will have a second ticket drop in August with “refreshed inventory across all Olympic sports at a range of price points.”
But after the popularity of the first purchasing period, many of the lower-priced tickets have already been scooped up.
LA28 said roughly half of the total 1 million $28 tickets were sold during the locals presale, which was limited to people living near venue cities in Southern California and Oklahoma City.
The average price per Olympic ticket is less than $200, which includes a mandatory 24% service fee, and LA28 said about 75% of all tickets, including final events, will be under $400. The premier seats at high-demand events command more than $1,000 per ticket, but the highest priced categories make up about 5% of the total ticket inventory.
Artistic gymnastics sold out the quickest in Drop 1. Four new Olympic sports — flag football, lacrosse, softball and squash — sold all their available inventory for the first drop. After five days of local presale, global ticket sales opened and drew fans from 85 countries and all 50 states and U.S. territories. The largest international sales came from the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and Japan.
For the first female-majority Olympic Games, LA28 reported that women’s Olympic sessions outsold men’s 93% to 88% during the first drop.
“The response to our initial on-sale was nothing short of historic. Fans from near and far have spoken: the world wants to be part of the LA28 Games,” LA28 chief executive officer Reynold Hoover said in a statement. “The success of Drop 1 is about more than momentum — it reflects LA28’s commitment to delivering a fiscally responsible Games that create a lasting legacy for Los Angeles and its communities.”
Drop 2, which will begin in August, will have additional tickets across all Olympic sports, including those that may have sold out during the first purchasing windows. The registration period for Drop 2 opened Thursday and will continue until July 22. Fans who registered for the first drop of tickets but did not receive a time slot and fans who did not buy their maximum 12 general ticket allotment will automatically be entered into the random lottery Drop 2. The new registration period is only required for anybody who did not sign up for the initial drop.
Fans are still limited to 12 Olympic tickets and up to 12 soccer tickets that don’t count toward the general maximum. There is a four ticket per ceremony limit for the opening and closing ceremony that count toward the 12-ticket maximum, which is cumulative across all LA28 presales and ticket drops.
LA28 will have multiple ticket drops with assigned purchasing time slots before ticket sales move to a first-come, first-served format closer to the Games, which open on July 14, 2028. LA28 began its ticketing process earlier than most other Olympic Games with tickets going on sale more than two years in advance of the opening ceremony. The early timeline has created excitement for the first Summer Olympics in the United States since Atlanta 1996, but also prompted concerns about scheduling. Fans clamored for tickets with little information about which teams or athletes would be competing in most sessions.
Tickets are not refundable, but fans can opt for verified resale when LA28 launches its official resale system in 2027. AXS and Eventim is the official secondary ticket marketplace of the LA28 Games and Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets have also signed on as additional verified resale platforms.
LA28 will have 14 million tickets available for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which would eclipse the record of 12 million tickets sold for the Paris Games. Paris 2024 sold an about 9.5 million tickets for the Olympics, but used a different ticket system than LA28. For Paris, 3.5 million tickets were sold during the first phase, during which fans were required to buy tickets to at least three different sports instead of the option for single-event tickets available during LA28’s Drop 1 process.
Tickets for the 2028 Paralympics, which will be the first in L.A.’s history, will go on sale in 2027. Ticket sales and hospitality are expected to cover about $2.5 billion of LA28’s expected $7.1 billion budget for the first Games in L.A. in more than 40 years.
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An envoy for President Donald Trump has reportedly asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the 2026 World Cup this summer.
The Financial Times reported the plan is an effort to repair the relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which soured after the former’s comments against Pope Leo XIV regarding the war with Iran.
United States special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested the idea to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
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President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025. (Emilee Chinn/FIFA)
“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a U.S.-hosted tournament,” Zampolli told the outlet. “With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
Italy had a chance to be in the World Cup already, but it lost in a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff final.
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Italy became the first World Cup-winning team to miss three consecutive tournaments after the 4-1 penalty shootout loss earlier this month.
“We still don’t believe it that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters at the time, according to the New York Post.
“It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”
While Zampolli told Infantino about his proposed plan, FIFA’s president said Iran “for sure” will play in the World Cup despite the conflict involving the U.S.
Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates after scoring a goal during a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A game against Uzbekistan at Azadi Stadium in Tehran March 25, 2025. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
“The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” Infantino said during the CNBC Invest in America Forum earlier this month in Washington, D.C.
“We hope that, by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”
Infantino visited the Iranian national team in Turkey, which is where it has its training camp.
All three of Iran’s group stage games are scheduled to be played in the U.S. That remains the case after Iranian government officials suggested to FIFA that their games be moved to Mexico because they could not travel to the U.S.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed FIFA’s rejection of Iran’s request, and it is insisting Iran play where it’s scheduled — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and Lumen Field in Seattle. Iran said earlier this month it would only decide on its team’s participation once it heard from FIFA regarding its relocation request.
Iran is scheduled to play at SoFi Stadium against New Zealand June 16 to begin its tournament. It will also play Belgium at the stadium before finishing group play against Mo Salah and Egypt in Seattle June 26.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an international friendly between Mexico and Portugal at Banorte Stadium in Mexico City March 28, 2026. (Antonio Torres/FIFA/Getty Images)
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Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last month that Iran would be welcome to compete in the World Cup as scheduled, though it might not be “appropriate” considering the conflict.
“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” he wrote.
Trump also told Politico, “I really don’t care,” when asked about Iran’s participation in the tournament. Infantino, who has a strong relationship with Trump, said Trump has “reiterated” to him that the U.S. welcomes Iran’s team to compete.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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