Dont over think it: Dodgers must let Shohei Ohtani hit, even when he pitches

Don’t even think about it.Don’t even think that Shohei Ohtani should be held out of the Dodgers’ lineup on days he is their starting pitcher.Ignore what Ohtani did in his most recent start.Forget about how Ohtani struck out 10 batters in six innings in an 8-2 victory over the Miserable Mets on Wednesday night.Disregard how he gave up only one hit in the first four innings or threw four consecutive fastballs at 100 mph to power his way out of a jam in the fifth.As tempting as it might be to see what Pitcher-Only Ohtani could do, the Dodgers don’t plan to make this a regular practice – nor should they.Because when they play games that really count in October, they absolutely must have Ohtani’s bat in their lineup.Even without Ohtani the Hitter, the Dodgers completed their sweep of New York’s Unfinest by smashing four homers and collecting 12 hits.But there were disconcerting signs in the details.Their five-run blitz in the eighth inning, highlighted by designated hitter Dalton Rushing’s grand slam, obscured the reality that their offense wasn’t particularly dangerous for most of the night.

Up to that point, their entire run production consisted of two homers – a two-run shot in the second inning by Hyeseong Kim and a solo blast by Teoscar Hernandez in the sixth.With Kyle Tucker, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Hernandez at the top of their order, the Dodgers fielded a lineup that was still one of the best in baseball.But something was missing, and that something was Ohtani.The Dodgers just didn’t look as imposing without him hitting.

There’s a reason he’s reached base in his last 48 games.He introduces a fear factor that forces opposing pitchers to decide whether to challenge him or avoid him and pitch to another All-Star instead.There’s no question the Dodgers would want Ohtani to hit in every postseason game, regardless of whether he’s pitching.

And if they want him to be a two-way player in the playoffs, they will have to let him us...