Dodgers manager leaves door slightly open for Shohei Ohtani to pitch in playoffs
Shohei Ohtani is the favorite to win National League Most Valuable Player award purely for his offensive exploits, yet it’s possible his value to the Los Angeles Dodgers might grow in the postseason.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that there is a slight possibility the 30-year-old star could be able to return in October from elbow surgery.
“I think that you should always leave some margin, a crack in the door for any possibility,” Roberts told SiriusXM MLB Network Radio regarding Ohtani pitching in the playoffs. “If things line up and there’s a need, and the game, (Ohtani’s) body, everything is telling us that it makes sense in that situation, great. It would be storybook.”
The Dodgers lost 6-2 to the host Atlanta Braves on Friday, the same day sidelined right-hander Tyler Glasnow had to scrap a planned simulated game as he experienced more problems with his pitching elbow.
Roberts subsequently clarified his earlier remarks about Ohtani pitching this year.
“The question I was asked was, ‘Is it a possibility?’ Anything is possible,” Roberts said. “We’ve still got a lot of work to get to October and through October. I hope that’s on his mind as far as motivation for his rehab. But the odds of it coming to pass are very slim. But they’re not zero. That’s my only thing.”
Ohtani was a two-way player for most of his time with the Los Angeles Angels from 2018 to 2023, though he didn’t pitch in 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
He signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers last December, but has yet to get on the mound for his new team.
Ohtani has done his share at the plate and on the basepaths, though. He has an NL-leading 47 homers to go along with 48 stolen bases as he closes in on the first 50-50 season in major league history.
Last year, Ohtani won his second American League MVP honor after leading the league in homers (44), on-base percentage (.412) and slugging percentage (.654) while going 10-5 on the mound with a 3.14 ERA, as he struck out 167 batters in 132 innings.
He last pitched on Aug. 23, 2023, and a month later he had the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow surgically repaired.
