With the end of the regular season rapidly approaching, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the postseason squarely in their view. Several questions remain, however, including how they’ll set up their pitching staff.
Despite being on the mend from a second career Tommy John surgery, there has been recent speculation Shohei Ohtani could find himself on the mound at some point in October.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager have both cast doubt on the possibility. But manager Dave Roberts and Ohtani himself have not ruled out the scenario, even if it doesn’t appear likely.
When discussing the potential for Ohtani pitching in the postseason, Friedman again stated he doesn’t see that as coming to fruition, per Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“We aren’t even thinking about that right now,” Friedman said. “Again, this is like January for him. He’s just barely a year out from Tommy John.
“To me, he’s not really an option.”
Ohtani’s last time on the mound was Aug. 23, 2023, when he pitched just 1.1 scoreless innings before leaving with the right elbow injury that ultimately required surgery.
The Dodgers figure to be incredibly cautious with how they handle Ohtani, regardless of World Series aspirations.
Even with the starting rotation being what it is, the team isn’t likely to have any decisions influenced by the slim upside of having Ohtani pitch.
Why Shohei Ohtani pitching isn’t a realistic option for 2024
To echo the stance Friedman noted, Ohtani’s commitment to the Dodgers is for the longterm. To mortgage the future for a short-term gain isn’t ideal.
Also, there’s no guarantee that Ohtani is effective should he take the mound in the postseason. Not having enough time to be comfortable from a health perspective is one aspect, but also a relatively short ramp-up period before pitching in a high-pressure setting would be incredibly unwise.
The Dodgers historically err on the side of caution, and it’s safe to assume they wouldn’t deviate from those principles in this scenario as well.
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