Shohei's Slump, a Rookie's Bird, and the Influencer Invasion

Shohei Ohtani had gone 0-for-5 against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, striking out twice. Over his previous 13 games, he was hitting .174 with a .529 OPS, zero home runs, and only three extra-base hits. For the face of baseball, the man who was supposed to be running away with the National League MVP award, this was not just a bad week. It was a two-week stretch that had Ben Maller asking a pointed question: how worried should the Dodgers be?

The Dodgers' Luxury Yacht with One Outboard Motor

The concern goes beyond Ohtani himself. Maller framed the Dodgers' roster as a "luxury yacht" — loaded with expensive stars and name-brand players — that is now "powered by one exhausted outboard motor." When Ohtani looks ordinary, the entire offense collapses into mediocrity. Freddie Freeman isn't hitting the long ball either. Mookie Betts is hurt. The Dodgers have been beating up on weak teams, but when they faced the Atlanta Braves earlier in the week, they got smoked. The weekend series with the Tigers was "offense optional."