The Dodgers are planning to make use of Shohei Ohtani as a beginning pitcher within the playoffs, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman confirmed Monday.
That doesn’t imply, nonetheless, that there aren’t sure situations through which he might additionally come out of the bullpen, as effectively.
“Things play out in October that you can’t foresee,” Friedman mentioned earlier than Monday’s sport in opposition to the Philadelphia Phillies — shortly after, coincidentally, catching up with new Phillies signing and ex-Dodgers favourite Walker Buehler, who made three begins within the Dodgers’ rotation final postseason earlier than rising for a title-clinching save in Recreation 5 of the Fall Traditional.
“Walker Buehler was a starting pitcher for us last year, and finished out Game 5 of the World Series,” Friedman famous. “So you never know how things are going to play out.”
The potential for Ohtani pitching in reduction has been percolating for the final a number of weeks. Pitching coach Mark Prior mentioned he might “absolutely” envision it throughout an look on the “Dan Patrick Show” final month. Supervisor Dave Roberts has extra not too long ago reiterated that the dialog relating to Ohtani’s postseason pitching position stays open because the common season winds down.
“Could it change down the road in the postseason? Possibly,” Roberts mentioned Sunday when pressed on the subject once more. “But right now we see him as a starter.”
Friedman largely echoed that sentiment Monday, a day earlier than Ohtani was set for his subsequent scheduled begin in a pivotal sequence in opposition to the Phillies (who entered this week’s go to to Dodger Stadium 4 ½ video games forward of the Dodgers for the No. 2 seed within the Nationwide League standings, and the first-round bye that comes with it).
Friedman praised Ohtani, who has returned from a second-career Tommy John surgical procedure this 12 months with a 3.75 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 36 innings, as “one of the best starters in the National League.”
Shohei Ohtani delivers in opposition to the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Sept. 5.
(Scott Taetsch / Getty Photos)
He mentioned the staff’s expectation is that the right-hander “will impact us as a starting pitcher” within the playoffs — though Ohtani may not pitch a lot previous the fifth inning of video games (the restrict he has been held to in his latest common season begins) and gained’t be requested to make consecutive begins on regular 4 days of relaxation (he has gotten at the least 5 days off between every of his outings this 12 months).
“No one is taking on more than [he is with the] pitching and also hitting and running the bases,” Friedman mentioned. “So just trying to be cognizant of that.”
Nonetheless, pitching out of the bullpen in some particular, late-game conditions might stay on the desk.
Like Buehler final 12 months, and Clayton Kershaw in lots of Octobers earlier than that, a protracted postseason run would possible supply alternatives for the Dodgers to make use of Ohtani as a reliever within the days between his begins — maybe in potential close-out video games or on nights when the again finish of the staff’s struggling bullpen is low on different reliable choices.
Ohtani does have memorable private expertise in such a job, having recorded the ultimate outs of Group Japan’s victory within the 2023 World Baseball Traditional.
When waiting for this postseason, Friedman didn’t shut the door on that chance both; though he mentioned his focus has remained on navigating the ultimate two weeks of the common season first.
“We’re expecting him to be a starter for us,” Friedman mentioned, “and depending on everything else, we’ll figure out where to go from there.”
After all, Ohtani’s two-way standing would add additional issues to any potential bullpen plans.
There are logistical questions — like how he would heat up if his spot within the batting order comes up the inning earlier than he’s purported to take the mound.
After which there’s a technical dilemma — with MLB’s two-way guidelines having been written in a method that, if Ohtani had been to enter the sport as a reliever, the Dodgers would lose him as a chosen hitter as soon as he exits the mound.
“Once you fire him … and you decide to come out of it, you have to take that cost of losing the DH and losing him as a hitter,” Roberts mentioned. “You got to be willing to take the chance.”
That actuality may prohibit Ohtani to pitching solely out of the bullpen within the ninth inning of video games, and will make the Dodgers extra hesitant to make use of Ohtani in reduction in any respect for worry of what would occur if a sport prolonged previous the top of his outing.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani stays a key bat for the staff, including weight to any resolution to make use of him as a reliever.
(Eric Thayer/Eric Thayer For The Los Angeles Instances)
“I think they missed the mark with it,” Friedman mentioned when requested if he was annoyed by the language of the two-way rule; which was enacted by MLB a number of years in the past in response to Ohtani’s emergence as a two-way star, however solely permits him to stay within the sport as a hitter after he exits pitching begins, particularly.
“I think the rule was put in place to try to encourage people to do it, to incentivize people,” Friedman mentioned. “So yeah, I think they missed.”
Friedman famous he’d favored to see the rule ultimately modified to additionally embody reduction appearances, however acknowledged “that’s more of an offseason, future thing.”
“Obviously,” he added, “it’s not reasonable for us to ask for that in-season.”
Thus, for now, the Dodgers will proceed to weigh the advanced professionals and cons of learn how to use Ohtani’s arm as soon as they attain October.
His present weekly pitching schedule has Ohtani lined as much as throw in Recreation 1 of a possible wild card sequence, which is able to start precisely two weeks from his Tuesday evening begin in opposition to the Phillies (although Friedman insisted that wasn’t intentional).
Whether or not his companies are wanted, even in narrowly conceivable circumstances, out of the bullpen past that is still to be seen — with the Dodgers persevering with to go away that chance open for now.
“I think so much of it is, when does he start? What’s that time off in-between? How lined up are our other starters?” Friedman mentioned.
“Until we know that, it’s hard to get too much into it.”
