Shohei Ohtani’s ERA climbs after last two outings, with Rays stacking extra baserunners

Shohei Ohtani’s start-of-season form has cooled, and his season-ending reputation as an overpowering two-way talent has been temporarily put under a microscope by a simple pitching problem: in his last two starts, his ERA has doubled, according to Yahoo Sports. The change is not subtle in the stat line, even if the long season still leaves plenty of room for correction.

The immediate storyline from the most recent games is how the Rays attacked him. Yahoo Sports reports that Tampa Bay “batted around” against Ohtani, a phrase that indicates more than a single rally, it suggests repeated opportunities to add runs across an extended inning sequence rather than isolated damage. When an opposing lineup gets that kind of run it usually forces a pitcher into deeper counts, a faster pitch mix, and more pitches per plate appearance.

That Rays stretch also matters because it came after a different early-season pattern. Yahoo Sports frames Ohtani’s situation by comparing it to his first nine appearances, which it describes as nearly untouchable. When a pitcher is that effective for that long, even a brief phase where the ball finds the barrel more often and the innings grow longer can inflate peripherals and ERA quickly.

Still, it is important not to treat a two-start window as a permanent shift. Baseball results from one to two appearances can reflect matchup timing, opponent personnel styles, and how well a pitcher executed the plan, especially for pitchers who are expected to throw at high velocity and with aggressive command. Ohtani’s overall season context, including the dominant portion of the early schedule referenced by Yahoo Sports, suggests the current run should be viewed as a dip rather than a redefinition of his ability.

What to watch next is whether Ohtani can reverse the specific mechanics that tend to drive an ERA spike in short order. If the walks rise, if innings get extended, or if contact quality stays high, the problem likely has a tactical root. If, instead, the Rays damage represents one cluster of poor outcomes, Ohtani’s next outing should provide a clearer look at whether this is a genuine trend or the kind of statistical bump that corrects itself as timing normalizes.

The Rays’ role in this story also fits a common MLB theme: when a contender finds timely production, it can create pitching stress even for elite arms. “Batted around” innings often come with increased pressure on a bullpen, and they also affect pitch selection for the starter, sometimes forcing fewer pure at-bats and more high-leverage pitches in later innings.

As Ohtani’s ERA reacts in the short term, the larger question for his team is how quickly they can stabilize run prevention around him. One rough segment can be absorbed over a long season, but consecutive starts with widened run margins tend to tighten managerial decisions, from bullpen usage to how often a team can afford to lean on its ace.

For now, the headline is straightforward. Yahoo Sports reports that Ohtani’s ERA has doubled across his last two starts, with Tampa Bay’s offense driving the damage by batting around against him. The next start is the most important test, not because it must “prove everything,” but because it will show whether the mini funk is correcting or continuing.