MLB Rumors: Will Shohei Ohtani Pitch For Dodgers In Playoffs?

Speculation continues to swirl around the possibility of Shohei Ohtani pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the postseason, despite the slim odds. 

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, speaking on MLB Network Radio, left the door open, stating, "Anything is possible." 

While Roberts emphasized that it would take a perfect alignment of physical readiness and strategy, he did not rule out the idea entirely. 

Ohtani, who is still rehabbing from his second Tommy John surgery, has been throwing bullpen sessions, but he has yet to face live hitters, a critical step before considering game action.

Shohei Ohtani is at the peak of his offensive powers, peak of his base running powers, and is likely going to pitch 150+ innings of elite baseball barring injury next year

2025 Shohei Ohtani is about to be the greatest season in MLB history pic.twitter.com/AtlTGqz5Us

— Addison (@YankeeWRLD) September 19, 2024

Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior added further context, noting that Ohtani is likely "at least a couple more weeks" away from advancing in his recovery, making any postseason return as a pitcher a long shot. 

Ohtani himself has hinted at uncertainty about his pitching status, smiling and suggesting he isn't sure if he could contribute in that capacity this October.

Shohei Ohtani's stats over his last 10 at-bats:

9-for-10
4 Home Runs
2 Doubles
12 Runs Batted In
6 Runs Scored
3 Stolen Bases
3.200 OPS

You don't even do this in a video game. pic.twitter.com/3KW87t6x8y

— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) September 21, 2024

For now, the team has not completely shut the door on the idea, especially if they make a deep postseason run. 

Roberts acknowledged that while the odds are "very slim," they are "not zero." 

The possibility remains tantalizing, but for now, it is more of a distant hope than a realistic plan.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images