As we get closer to October baseball, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has discussed the possibility of using Shohei Ohtani in the bullpen. Ohtani has not pitched this season due to recovery from elbow surgery, but the 30-year-old offensive superstar has already started rehab assignments in the bullpen. He threw his fifth bullpen session on September 10th at home (Dodger Stadium) before the game against the Chicago Cubs.
Dodgers Postseason Bullpen Could Turn Heads With Star Player
Ohtani’s Postseason High Hopes
Ohtani is on his way to earning MVP this season by surpassing his 40-40 milestone success on August 24th. He’s close to reaching 50-50 before the regular season ends. Ohtani is sitting at 47 home runs and 48 stolen bases. He’s now set to surpass 50-50 this season. Ohtani is already going through many rehab assignments related to his pitching status.
He will still have a few weeks to practice in the late stretch of the regular season. Ohtani could debut in the postseason for the Dodgers. While it isn’t guaranteed, the Dodgers have high hopes to utilize Ohtani’s pitching arm through a bullpen role. They don’t want to rush his recovery and make him pitch as a starter, so throwing in the pen would be a great way to utilize his early progress while limiting his pitch count and depth.
Did Someone Say Ohtani Pitch?
In addition, it would help mend the Dodger’s injuries that they have been sidelined with. The most recent Dodgers pitcher on the injury list was reliever Joe Kelly, who had a shoulder injury on September 11th. But the Dodgers are slowly getting more of their injured players back, such as Brusdar Graterol, who was activated back onto the roster yesterday. The Dodgers’ postseason success would be boosted by Ohtani getting the chance to pitch this season.
He is a double agent with the ability to both pitch well as well as hit. This is why many teams were hunting for him when he was a free agent. Even without pitching this season, Ohtani’s offense showcases the caliber of his raw talent on the plate. Ohtani has already made history this season. A postseason with the chance of Ohtani getting to pitch is a giant lottery ticket for the Dodgers. At the beginning of the season, we probably didn’t even think that Ohtani would get to pitch. Ohtani has been on fire this season for the Dodgers, and confidence is in his blood.
Main Photo Credits: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
