The outlook seems promising for Shohei Ohtani. If he stays on track following his 34-pitch session on the mound on Friday, he plans to engage in a couple more bullpen practices and then take on hitters in a simulated game.
“Then we’ll see him in a major league game,” said manager Dave Roberts.
Ohtani’s possible return to pitching is something the Dodgers really need, given the challenges they’ve faced without a two-way player in their rotation.
Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a game since July 3rd, which complicates matters even further. Without him on the mound, the Dodgers had to cut back their number of relief pitchers from eight to seven, a change that has seen their bullpen struggle in recent outings.
“Basically, all of our relievers are overworked right now,” Roberts commented.
This situation highlights why the Dodgers are eager to see Ohtani return to action. MLB roster rules actually provide the Dodgers with a slight edge over other teams when it comes to Ohtani’s dual role. Though Ohtani will gradually build his arm strength for the rest of the season, his position as both a pitcher and a hitter could be a major asset for the team moving forward.
Utilizing Ohtani as a two-way player will influence not just roster decisions but also the team’s overall performance. We saw how this impacted things earlier in the season.
The rules stipulate that from Opening Day to August 31, teams can have 26 players, but there can only be a maximum of 13 pitchers. This limit extends to 28 players in September with the max for pitchers increasing to 14.
Because Ohtani is classified as a two-way player, he doesn’t count towards the total number of pitchers. This allows the Dodgers to use 13 pitchers in addition to Ohtani. As a result, for most of the season, they’ve been able to maintain a roster featuring six starters and eight relief pitchers, which has led some, like Cubs manager Craig Counsell, to criticize the Ohtani rule as unfair.
Due to this setup, Dodgers starters have pitched every six or seven days instead of the typical five or six. This extra day has allowed for deeper outings and lessened the load on the bullpen.
Things shifted dramatically when Ohtani suffered a knee injury, forcing the Dodgers into a difficult choice: start another sixth pitcher or bump up the number of relief pitchers. The balance is tricky.
“We missed that,” Roberts lamented.
Initially, the team relied on five starting pitchers. With Blake Snell’s return from injury, they adjusted back to a six-man rotation.
“Having a six-man rotation is a blessing for us,” Roberts said.
Both Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Aki Sasaki have limited experience in the Japanese league, only returning to pitch there recently, which factors into the overall dynamics.
Roberts noted that the Dodgers might bring in extra relief help, especially since they’re nearing the climax of a grueling stretch of games.
“It’s difficult to navigate,” Roberts stated. “We’ve had seven pens in the middle for 13 straight times.”
As the postseason approaches, the active roster will remain at 26 players, including 13 pitchers, underscoring why the Dodgers are keen to get as much from Ohtani on the mound as possible.
When Ohtani resumes pitching, he will likely serve as an opening pitcher, beginning with one inning and gradually working up to two. The Dodgers plan to take it slow, which might limit how deep he can go into the playoffs.
However, even if he pitches just an inning or two, that would relieve some of the burden from their eight relief pitchers, which is significant.
Pitching this year would also set Ohtani up for next season. If he’s active, it allows Yamamoto and Sasaki to maintain a pitching schedule of every six or seven days, rather than being pushed to shorter intervals if Ohtani isn’t involved.
At first glance, it might seem like a minor detail—just one additional day each week. But, as the Dodgers have recently discovered, even small factors can lead to significant outcomes.
