Shohei Ohtani has new pitching outlook as Dodgers change plans
When the postseason starts, Shohei Ohtani could be more than an opener.He could be a full-fledged starting pitcher.“In theory, yes,” manager Dave Roberts said.Imagine: Ohtani pitching for the Dodgers in the World Series. Only this time, he wins. Only this time, he has a signature Fall Classic moment on the mound.It’s now possible.A newly divulged timeline for Ohtani’s pitching comeback could be a game-changer for the Dodgers, who were bracing themselves for the possibility that the two-way player wouldn’t be able to pitch more than an inning or two a game in October.Roberts previously said whatever additional innings Ohtani could provide this season would be “bonuses.”The change in Ohtani’s pitching outlook was a welcome development when the uncertainties over the offense and bullpen intensified because of injuries to center fielder Andy Pages and closer Edwin Diaz. Pages will miss four to five weeks as he recovers from a minor operation to repair a broken left hand.
The slumping Diaz was placed on the 15-day injured list with what was described by the Dodgers as neck inflammation.Ohtani reported no problems after throwing 30 pitches to Will Smith in a simulated game on Saturday and that set him up to throw a bullpen session over the next few days.Roberts said depending on how Ohtani comes out of that, he could throw in either another simulated game or an actual game.That game could be on Sunday in Detroit, where the Dodgers will conclude their upcoming two-city, six-game trip.Regardless of whether Ohtani makes that start or delays his return by another week, he will be in position to start four or five games before the end of the regular season.The expectation is for Ohtani to pitch one inning in his first game, just as he did last year when he returned from his second Tommy John surgery.
His buildup last season was extremely deliberate, as he pitched an inning in each of his first two games and two innings in each of the two after that.“I wo...