Ohtani to Pitch and Hit for Dodgers vs Padres on Friday with Rushing Catching

Shohei Ohtani will start on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday against the San Diego Padres, with Dalton Rushing behind the plate, ESPN reported. Ohtani will also appear in the batting lineup for the game. The start was originally set for Wednesday in Sacramento but was moved two days later.

The adjustment allows Ohtani to face the Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks before the All-Star break rather than the Athletics and Colorado Rockies. It also provides extra rest between outings for his left knee, which caused him to miss a game and still requires maintenance. Rushing, 25, will catch Ohtani for the first time since a start in Minneapolis eight days earlier.

During that outing Ohtani grew visibly irritated with pitch selection and at one point tapped his head to request a video review. Rushing later called the episode embarrassing. Ohtani holds a 4.34 ERA across three starts with Rushing catching and a 0.74 ERA in starts with Will Smith behind the plate.

Smith is sidelined indefinitely with a neck injury. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Ohtani is feeling better every day and that his movement has improved over the last couple of days. Roberts added that Ohtani and Rushing will need time to align but that Rushing understands the demands of the role.

The Dodgers opened a four-game series against the Padres on Thursday.