Will Shohei Ohtani pitch in the MLB playoffs? Dodgers manager leaves door open and says he “would trust him to do it”

Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has been demoted to the designated hitter role this season as he recovers from elbow surgery, but he has certainly contributed a lot on offense. Ohtani is the favorite for NL MVP and will likely become the first player to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season.

Still, there's something intriguing about Ohtani beyond his offensive prowess, which is his ability to pitch at an All-Star level as well. He underwent surgery on September 19, 2023, and is continuing his rehab. The typical recovery process generally takes between 12 and 18 months, and he's less than a week away from the one-year mark.

Still, we know Ohtani is making progress with his work on the mound and the Dodgers have a whole host of pitchers on the injured list as they prepare for another playoff season. Could we see Ohtani on the mound in the playoffs? Dodgers manager Dave Roberts commented on the matter on Friday and has not yet spoken out against the idea.

“I think you always want to leave some wiggle room, some crack for all possibilities,” Roberts said Friday on MLB Network Radio. “If everything fits and there's a need and the game, his body, everything tells us it makes sense in this situation, great. And it would be textbook. But I think relying on that, betting on that, is an unfair approach in my opinion.

“Shohei is ready to continue his rehab process and I would trust him to keep an eye on it. Then we'll just see how it goes.”

Ohtani would, of course, have to be medically cleared for live action before stepping on the mound, and then he would have to be comfortable with it, as would the Dodgers' front office, as well as Roberts and his on-field team — including pitching coach Mark Prior. With all of those hurdles cleared, Ohtani certainly still wouldn't make long appearances. That means it would come down to one-inning appearances, probably as a reliever.

The Dodgers currently have seven starting pitchers and three relievers on the injured list. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has made just one start since returning from the IL. The only two starters with more than 20 starts this season are Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone, and both are currently on the injured list.

Despite all this, the Dodgers are still 87-59, a five-game lead in the NL West.

Ohtani, 30, is hitting .292/.375/.617 with 30 doubles, seven triples, 47 home runs, 104 RBI, 116 runs, 48 ​​stolen bases and 7.4 WAR this season. His last pitching appearance was in 2023, when he was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings.

If all goes well, Ohtani could become a key weapon out of the bullpen in October, but until we see him on a major league mound, that remains unlikely and possibly even a pipe dream.