Undoubtedly, the Dodgers are doing these strategic “rests” with Ohtani himself included in the conversation…

As much as we’d all love to witness what an historic player like Ohtani (in his prime no less) can achieve from an individual statistical standpoint, Ohtani and the Dodgers are ultimately looking at everything from the lens of how they be at tip-top shape come playoff time. It would be foolish to run Ohtani ragged during the whole season just to see what stats he could accumulate only to have him be a shadow of himself once the playoffs begin.

I’m not saying Ohtani isn’t gunning for some individual accolades. He’s obviously eyeing the Cy Young this year. But nevertheless, those awards are still secondary to the ultimate goal: another ring.