Shohei Ohtani offers blunt response to pitching question, with surgery overtones

Shohei Ohtani’s plans are unchanged.Despite his injury crisis this year, and the limitations it left him with in the playoffs, the two-way star still wants to be a two-way player again next season.“Yes, definitely,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton on Thursday night, when asked if he intended to return to pitching in 2027.“And [I’m] looking forward to having a better season next year.”The Dodgers would shudder at the idea of another Ohtani campaign going worse than this one.In his attempt to return to a full-time two-way role for the first time since 2023, the four-time MVP ended up getting hurt, being shut down as a pitcher after only 85 innings, and slumping mightily at the plate for much of the playoffs while trying to manage his far-less-than-100% health.His October limitations proved costly to the Dodgers.His inability to withstand the physical toll of his one-of-a-kind role was one of the key reasons they were knocked out in the National League Championship Series.On Thursay night, he indicated it’s possible he might need to have offseason surgery, as well; though he did not specify if it would be for his inflamed left knee, ailing right arm, some other unknown issue, or potentially all of the above.“Hard to tell at this point,” Ohtani said.

“It’s something that’s going to be analyzed, discussed over the offseason, and see if that’s a viable thing to do.”And yet, the 32-year-old didn’t waver in his desire to continue to both hit and pitch moving forward.He didn’t seem daunted by the disastrous way this season played out.“I haven’t been able to really come to grip in terms of what I’ve learned overall this season,” he said.“It’s something that I’m going to kind of go back to the drawing board in terms of treatment, training program, and see what I can come up with for next season.”The question, of course, is not whether Ohtani can still be dominant in his two dueling roles.

This year, he still batted ...