Certain issues are better viewed as opportunities, especially when they involve a talented player or a phenomenon like Shohei Ohtani. With a player like the Japanese star, the possibilities are endless, and some we might never see come to fruition despite his immense capability.
Dave Roberts is well aware that Ohtani would do anything to help his team win, so they’ve taken on the task of considering what until now seemed like a wild idea-or perhaps not…
Could a Struggling Bullpen Open the Door for Shohei Ohtani to Pitch in Relief?
The struggles of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ bullpen have opened the door to exploring alternative ways to improve their effectiveness, especially with the postseason approaching.
“This is our pennant race right now. It started early, and we’ve got to win every game,” Roberts told reporters. “It’s about, for me, trusting the guys. And you [earn trust] by performing and going after guys, and not pitching too carefully. I’m gonna go with the guys that I trust. They’re all talented in their own right, but yeah, you’re gonna go with the guys you trust. This is a great audition opportunity for each of them,” he added about his confidence in his pitchers.
“I can’t answer that question right now,” Roberts said in Baltimore last week. “But I think that we’re going to do whatever we feel is the best chance to give us a chance to win. And I know Shohei would be open to whatever. We certainly haven’t made that decision yet, though.”
As of Tuesday, the Dodgers‘ relievers had pitched a total of 585.2 innings, the most in MLB. Their ERA stands at 4.20, ranking them 19th in the league.
Ohtani has been solid as a starter, posting a 3.75 ERA in 12 starts, with just eight walks and 49 strikeouts in 36 innings. However, in the postseason, the Dodgers likely won’t need more than four starters in their rotation, turning Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, and Emmet Sheehan into players in a true “game of musical chairs” for a spot.
Roberts admitted they’ve considered the possibility of Ohtani taking on a ninth-inning role, though he acknowledged that the idea comes with several complications.
In the ideal scenario, the Japanese star would begin warming up in the bullpen after an out in the seventh inning and stay active through the eighth. But things rarely go so smoothly. Reserving him exclusively for the ninth would mean Ohtani would need to alternate between hitting, running, and warming up again, which is impractical.
There’s also an added risk: if he fails to close out the game, the Dodgers would automatically lose their designated hitter for the remainder of the game.
Rule 5.11(b) – the “Ohtani Rule” – states: “If that [two-way player] pitcher bats or runs as Designated Hitter, such move will not terminate the Designated Hitter role for that Club; neither will the role be terminated in the event that Designated Hitter assumes the role of pitcher on defense. However, if that player is switched from the mound or Designated Hitter role to a position on defense other than pitcher, such move will terminate the Designated Hitter role for that Club for the remainder of the game.”
If the bullpen continues to struggle, it seems almost impossible not to consider Ohtani as a potential reliever.
Read the full article here
