Dave Roberts Lays Out Possible Postseason Pitching Plan for Shohei Ohtani

There's already been chatter about Dave Roberts possibly using Shohei Ohtani in the outfield for the Dodgers during the team's playoff run, and now there's a chance the three-time MVP could be used in another role during the postseason, too.

Ohtani is already expected to be in the starting pitcher rotation for Los Angeles in the postseason, but he could also be used as a relief pitcher, Roberts said on Wednesday. The manager noted that adding Ohtani to the bullpen is "something we're all talking about."

"I know that we are going to be talking about it," Roberts said, via ESPN. "I think the one thing you can say, though, is that we use him once every seven days, eight days, nine days ... so to think that now it's feasible for a guy that's just coming off what he's done last year, or didn't do last year, to then now put him in a role that's very, very unique, because he's a very methodical, disciplined, routine-driven person. The pen is the complete opposite, right? You potentially could be taking on risk, and we've come this far, certainly with the kid gloves and managing."

It sounds like Ohtani being put in the outfield goes hand-in-hand with him being in the bullpen. Ohtani himself spoke about the possibility on Wednesday.

"I've had conversations with various people, and the idea of me pitching in relief has come up," Ohtani said. "As a player, I want to be prepared to handle whatever role is needed. If I do end up pitching out of the bullpen, I think that could also mean I'd need to play in the outfield afterward, depending on the situation. So I want to be ready for anything, no matter what comes my way."

This wouldn't be a new situation for Ohtani in his career, though. Back in 2021 while on the Angels, Ohtani pitched in relief and then went to the outfield to remain in the game on seven occasions. When Ohtani enters the game as a designated hitter, he loses that role once he's done relief pitching for the game. The Dodgers could then put him in the outfield to remain in the game.

The Dodgers still err on the side of caution of putting Ohtani on the mound, though, since he returned from the second repair of his ulnar collateral ligament back on June 16. In 13 games this season pitching, Ohtani's posted a 3.29 ERA with 54 strikeouts and 15 earned runs. On the other hand, Ohtani hasn't compete in the outfield all season. We'll see what the Dodgers decide to do once October rolls around.