Dodgers manager 'not going to close the door 100%' on Shohei Ohtani pitching in the playoffs
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is having another MVP-caliber season as a designated hitter, creeping toward 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. But could the two-way sensation return to the mound before the season ends?
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts seemed open to the idea of Ohtani pitching in the playoffs, though he's hesitant about the potential risks. Ohtani underwent elbow surgery in 2023 that has kept him off the pitching mound ever since, and he has been rehabbing while playing DH this season.
“I wouldn’t say no way ... I’m not going to close the door 100%," Roberts said on Wednesday about the possibility of Ohtani pitching this postseason, per Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times.
Roberts acknowledged that it would be something of a Hollywood ending. “If I was scripting a movie or writing a book, it would be a no-brainer that he comes out of rehabilitation and throws the last pitch,” he said.
Realistically, though, Ohtani is still working up to that point.
“The problem is, in reality, he hasn’t thrown a leverage pitch in over a year. If he were to come out and it does go awry, it’s not worth potential injury," Roberts said. "I just don’t think it’s worth it.”
Roberts reiterated this on Friday, saying that the odds of Ohtani pitching in October were slim but not impossible, per The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.
Dave Roberts said the odds that Shohei Ohtani pitches in October are slim, but the Dodgers are not shutting the door as effusively on it as they have all season. Still a long ways away from that being a possibility, though.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) September 13, 2024
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow, who is on IL due to right elbow tendinitis, reportedly suffered a setback ahead of Friday's game against the Atlanta Braves, per Ardaya, adding another potential reason to bring Ohtani back to the mound early.
As recently as May, Ohtani was showing off his arm as his rehabilitation continues. He has been slowly building up distance and speed in the year since his surgery, but he's still likely to hold off on pitching in games until 2025.
With 16 games left in the regular season, the Dodgers are 87-59 and likely to win the NL West. Yet the team has been hit hard by injuries to the pitching staff and once again faces problems with its potential playoff rotation. A pitcher of Ohtani's caliber would certainly help.
In the meantime, he'll continue to chase what would be an unprecedented 50-50 season at the plate.
