Shohei Ohtani is back in the Dodgers’ lineup, but the mound now looks like a stretch too far.
Ohtani said Monday that he “most likely” will not pitch again this season as he keeps working through discomfort in his right biceps, left knee and neck. He returned to Los Angeles as the designated hitter against the Cincinnati Reds after sitting out four straight games, going 0-for-3 with a walk in a 6-3 Dodgers win.
For the Dodgers, getting Ohtani’s bat back matters. Losing the pitching side of the equation changes the way October has to look.
Ohtani’s work on the mound this season was too good to ignore. He went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts, the kind of production that would have put him squarely in the mix as one of Los Angeles’ most trusted postseason starters. Add in the ability to pitch and then slide right back to the top of the batting order, and you had a weapon no opponent could really match.
But the health picture has made that idea hard to bank on. Ohtani said another appearance on the mound this year is unlikely, and manager Dave Roberts said the team still has no timetable for a return to pitching.
At this point, the Dodgers have to take that uncertainty as the answer.
Instead of reserving a postseason rotation spot for a pitcher whose return is still up in the air, Los Angeles can move forward with the arms it knows it has. That gives the club a chance to line up starters for specific jobs and lets relievers understand how their responsibilities might shift in a short series.
That kind of clarity can matter, even if it comes wrapped in bad news.
What the Dodgers still have is an elite hitter. Ohtani entered Monday hitting .277 with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs, though his recent offense has dipped while he’s been dealing with multiple physical issues. Sticking to hitting should give him a better chance to reset his timing without the added burden of preparing to pitch.
And the Dodgers have already seen this version of the plan work. Ohtani did not pitch during their 2024 World Series run while recovering from elbow surgery, but his bat still made him one of the most dangerous offensive players in the sport.
That same setup may be the one Los Angeles leans on again.
There will be real disappointment if Ohtani’s pitching season is done. His 14 starts created the possibility of one of the most intriguing postseason roles baseball has seen in a while. But the Dodgers can’t let that possibility turn into a risk they don’t need.
Ohtani was brought in to shape championship runs for years, not to push through three separate physical issues in an October return to the mound.
Los Angeles may only have half of its two-way star this postseason.
That half is still good enough to swing a World Series.
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