DENVER — The Dodgers have “discussed” having Shohei Ohtani pitch out of the bullpen during the postseason – but it’s not what you think.
Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior confirmed those internal discussions among the coaching staff and front office. But he characterized those discussions as centering on understanding the two-way player rule and how it would impact any potential use of Ohtani as a reliever.
“Yeah we were discussing it. We were discussing the rules,” said Prior, confirming what he said when questioned by Dan Patrick on his radio show on Wednesday morning. “Obviously the rule is written for him to be a two-way player. But you have to be a starter.”
The ‘Ohtani Rule’ adopted by MLB to accommodate Ohtani’s unique two-way ability allows him to start a game as a pitcher and continue as the DH after he is replaced on the mound. However, if Ohtani starts the game solely as the DH but goes to the mound to pitch at some later point, he cannot continue at DH after he stops pitching. Essentially, he would have to finish the game in relief or the Dodgers would lose his at-bats as DH when he stops pitching.
“Basically, he starts and can DH, or you’re bringing him in hypothetically in more of an end-of-game situation and know that, hopefully, the game is not continuing,” Prior said. “But middle relief, I don’t see. I don’t ever want to rule out anything because things happen and the playoffs are the playoffs. But I think that’s a small percentage of happening.”
This discussion took place “like, two months ago” as Ohtani was beginning his buildup as a pitcher, Prior said.
It is worth discussing now, though, only because the Dodgers currently have six healthy starting pitchers – an embarrassment of riches compared to the depleted rotations they took into the postseason each of the past two years. They could hold Ohtani back in a bullpen role, for example, and still have a playoff rotation of Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw.
“Things have certainly stabilized on the pitching side, certainly the starting pitching. It certainly gives us options,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Like I said a couple weeks ago, I think we’re going to go as far as our starting pitching takes us. To have guys kind of in line, throwing the baseball well, I feel good about it.”
Using Ohtani out of the bullpen would come with complications beyond the two-way player rule. He rarely pitched in relief during his career in Japan and has pitched in relief just once since coming to MLB in 2018 – and that was during the championship game of the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
His workouts and routine as a two-way player are very regimented and routine-oriented. Pitching out of the bullpen might require more flexibility and comes with some uncertainty which might be difficult for Ohtani to accommodate.
“I definitely don’t want to speak for him on that. But based on what I see, he enjoys and has a passion for pitching,” Prior said. “I think at the end of the day if it gave us a chance to win a ballgame, whatever that added value, I think he would be all-in. Within reason. Because I do think he cares about winning ballgames. He cares about helping his team win on both sides of the baseball. So I think if it was presented in that situation, maybe he would – again, I don’t know what that situation would be but in a kind of playoff, must-win, maybe that would.
“I don’t know what that situation would be, but it’s probably along those variables where you are needing extra arms in a situation. I don’t think it’s scheduled or scripted by any means. But again, those things change very rapidly and potentially in October and end of the regular season.”
Roberts said he would “absolutely” be concerned about throwing Ohtani into that type of situation without preparing for it. “I don’t think a week would suffice” for that preparation he said.
“Right now, for me, I see him as a starter,” Roberts said. “Being able to take down the first five, six innings of a game probably gives us the best chance to win a ballgame (as opposed to one or two innings of relief).”
REHAB ROUNDUP
Veteran relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates began their minor-league rehabilitation assignments with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday night. Each pitched a scoreless inning and walked one batter. Scott struck out two, Yates one.
“Kirby and Tanner were both good,” Roberts said. “Not sure if they’re going to do another one. Probably not. So then it’s kind of trying to figure out when they would join us.”
It’s possible they could be activated during the Dodgers’ weekend series in San Diego.
Right-hander Roki Sasaki was scheduled to make his second rehab start with OKC on Wednesday night.
Utility man Kiké Hernandez was also scheduled to start a rehab assignment at OKC on Wednesday night as the DH. Hernandez has been out since July 5 with a left elbow injury.
“I would say getting Kiké back with us some time next week is feasible,” Roberts said.
ALSO
Right-hander Paul Gervase was promoted from OKC before Wednesday’s game and right-hander Alexis Diaz was sent back to OKC. Gervase was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays as part of a three-team trade between the Rays, Cincinnati Reds and Dodgers at the deadline. Gervase made six appearances with OKC, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out nine in 8⅔ innings.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (LHP Clayton Kershaw, 7-2, 3.01 ERA) at Rockies (RHP Chase Dollander, 2-9, 6.43 ERA), Thursday, 12:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM