‘Prepared to do so’: Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani Open to the Outfield

Shohei Ohtani does it all on the field. He hits, pitches, wins MVPs, invents 50-50 clubs – and has a World Series ring.

What about trotting out to the outfield? What do you say, Shohei?

“I’ve had different conversations with different people, and of course that’s come up,” Ohtani told Japanese reporters on Monday. “As a player, if I’m told to go somewhere, I want to be prepared to do so.

“That’s on the mound and perhaps even in the outfield.”

For Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, it’s not the most outlandish option but he isn’t sold on the idea entirely. 

“He’s a great teammate. He wants to help us win a championship. So I’m all about it. I don’t know if it’s going to happen.”

So why is this idea even being floated? An MLB rule change ahead of the 2022 season stated that if a starting pitcher is replaced, he can remain as a DH. But in Ohtani’s case, if he were to start as DH and then pitch in relief, the Dodgers would lose the DH spot once Ohtani is done on the mound.

And with the Dodgers having some reliever woes, it may be a way to keep Ohtani’s bat if he were to come out of the bullpen during the postseason. But the 31-year-old hasn’t come out of the bullpen in his entire MLB career, although he had a memorable relief moment in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. 

It’s also been awhile since Ohtani actually played in the outfield, having six total appearances for the Angels (six in right field, one in left) before that rule change.

“He hasn’t played the outfield [for the Dodgers]. But I appreciate the fact that he’s open to whatever we need. So, I don’t know how that looks though. He hasn’t taken a fly ball all year,” Roberts added. 

So if Ohtani-the-pitcher comes in relief, the outfield option would keep Ohtani-the-batter in the game. 

“Yeah, that is a way. But again, I don’t think anything should be off the table.” Roberts said. “But yeah, we’ll see. But that’s great that he said that.” 

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