The Los Angeles Dodgers managed to keep Shohei Ohtani in California by signing him in free agency after his departure from the Angels. They knew his return to pitching would take time, but over the past couple of months, Ohtani has been steadily building himself back up as a starter. Now, with October looming, there’s a possibility he could be used out of the bullpen during the postseason.
“Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior seemed bullish on the idea during his interview on the Dan Patrick Show this week, saying he could ‘absolutely’ see a scenario in which Ohtani pitches out of the bullpen during the postseason – but it would have to be a scenario in which he would be recording the final outs of the game,” Dodgers Way’s Emma Lingan wrote.
While few predicted this kind of move for Ohtani this season, it comes with a significant downside to the Dodgers’ batting lineup.
“The Dodgers are toying with the idea of using Shohei Ohtani in relief during the postseason, but if they do, he would vacate his spot in the lineup when his turn came up to hit. If he’s a starter, he’s permitted to stay in the game as a DH after he’s done pitching,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote.
There’s a real risk with this experiment. If Ohtani were to give up the lead during a relief appearance, his bat—one of the most dangerous in all of MLB—would be lost for the rest of the game. That could prove costly, especially in high-stakes postseason matchups.
This potential downside may be why the Dodgers are proceeding with caution. If they’re serious about using Ohtani in relief, they might consider testing it during the regular season to see how it plays out.
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Ohtani is willing to help the team however he can, but if he enters late, loses the lead, and can no longer contribute at the plate, it could backfire. With some time left before the postseason begins, the Dodgers must ultimately decide: do they want Ohtani on the mound late in games, or in the lineup every time his spot comes up?
