Shohei Ohtani lowers ERA to 0.73

Shohei Ohtani pushed his season ERA down to 0.73 after another scoreless start for the Los Angeles Dodgers, a mark that social media posts flagged this week and MLB.com confirmed. The Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 4-0 at Petco Park on May 21, with Ohtani leading off the game with a home run and then throwing five scoreless innings. MLB.com said the outing left him with the lowest ERA in the majors among pitchers with at least 25 innings. That gave a firmer basis to the social posts circulating this week about Ohtani's early-season pitching line. ### Which outing moved Ohtani's ERA to 0.73? May 21 was the date of the start that pushed Ohtani's ERA to 0.73, according to MLB.com. In that game against San Diego, he worked five scoreless innings as the Dodgers won 4-0 at Petco Park. MLB.com also reported that Ohtani returned to full two-way duty in the game after serving only as a pitcher in his previous three starts. He opened the night with a leadoff home run, then handled the Padres without allowing a run. ### How significant is a 0.73 ERA this early in the season? MLB.com said Ohtani's 0.73 ERA was the lowest mark among major leaguers who had thrown at least 25 innings. (mlb.com) That matters because it places him not just at the top of the Dodgers' rotation, but at the top of a league-wide leaderboard with a minimum-workload threshold. Baseball-Reference lists Ohtani's 2026 pitching record on his player page, which includes a separate pitching log for this season. That page confirms he is again carrying a pitching workload in 2026 after his two-way return. ### Why were people talking about this on social media now? Social posts this week highlighted Ohtani's ERA and linked it to the broader run of MLB storylines moving around online, including Yordan Alvarez's start and Gerrit Cole's return. (mlb.com) The Ohtani item gained traction because the number itself — 0.73 — is unusually low for any starter, especially one also hitting in the lineup. (baseball-reference.com) The social framing tracked closely with MLB.com's account of the game. MLB.com wrote that Ohtani had been used only as a pitcher in his previous three starts before resuming two-way duties against San Diego, which gave the outing added attention beyond the ERA update alone. ### Was Ohtani only pitching, or doing both again? MLB.com reported that Ohtani was back in two-way mode against the Padres. He hit at the top of the order and homered before taking the mound, a reminder that his value this season is still being measured on both sides of the ball. ESPN's player page for Ohtani lists him with the Dodgers and continues to track his 2026 offensive production separately from his pitching work. (mlb.com) That split reflects the same two-track role that has defined much of his major league career. ### What comes next for the Dodgers and Ohtani? The Dodgers were in the middle of a series at Petco Park when Ohtani posted the five scoreless innings that lowered his ERA. (mlb.com) MLB.com said Los Angeles took two of three from San Diego with that 4-0 win, and Ohtani remained in two-way duty going forward. Baseball-Reference's daily log page shows May 22 as the next day on the major league schedule, providing the next checkpoint for updated game logs and season totals. (espn.com) Ohtani's player pages on MLB.com and Baseball-Reference remain the clearest public trackers for whether that 0.73 ERA holds through his next outing. (baseball-reference.com) (mlb.com)