The Los Angeles Dodgers have assembled one of baseball’s most formidable rosters, yet their path to a consecutive World Series championship may hinge on an unconventional deployment of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
MLB insider Bob Nightengale recently reported that the Dodgers are weighing the idea of using Ohtani as a reliever once the postseason begins. Such a move would remove him from the lineup when his spot comes up to hit, creating a unique strategic scenario.
“The Dodgers are toying with the idea of using Shohei Ohtani in relief during the postseason, but if they do, he would vacate his spot in the lineup when his turn came up to hit,” Nightengale wrote. “If he’s a starter, he’s permitted to stay in the game as a DH after he’s done pitching.”
Across 10 starts this season, Ohtani has pitched 27.1 innings with a 4.61 ERA. Despite limited innings, he ranks in the 95th percentile in fastball velocity, demonstrating his elite potential on the mound. Yet, since returning from an elbow injury that sidelined him for over a year, he has struggled to pitch deep into games.
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Dodgers starters Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto provide depth and consistency, a fact Snell himself emphasized.
“Honestly, right now, watching everybody, it’s a lot better than I thought we were going to be,” Snell said. “This staff’s stacked.”
Ohtani’s offensive prowess remains undeniable. He continues to chase a third consecutive National League MVP award while simultaneously ramping up his pitching workload. Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior spoke with Dan Patrick about the feasibility of Ohtani pitching out of the bullpen.
“It’s been discussed,” Prior said. “It’s really understanding the rules of him coming in as a reliever and knowing that because of the rule and the way it’s set up right now as a starter, he can come out of the game and still maintain as a DH. But he comes in as a reliever, you got to find that line of where the game is because you can’t have him come in in the sixth and then take him out as a pitcher in the seventh and then keep him as a DH. It would have to be a situation where we think the game is over and he’s closing, or be okay with him not hitting anymore.”
In other words, Ohtani could only be used as a reliever in end-of-game situations, essentially as a closer rather than a middle reliever.
“Basically, he starts and can DH, or you’re bringing him in hypothetically in more of an end-of-game situation and know that, hopefully, the game is not continuing,” Prior added. “But middle relief, I don’t see. I don’t ever want to rule out anything because things happen and the playoffs are the playoffs. But I think that’s a small percentage of happening.”
Prior also emphasized Ohtani’s willingness to embrace such a role if it helps the team win.
“I definitely don’t want to speak for him on that. But based on what I see, he enjoys and has a passion for pitching. I think at the end of the day if it gave us a chance to win a ballgame, whatever that added value, I think he would be all-in. Within reason. Because I do think he cares about winning ballgames. He cares about helping his team win on both sides of the baseball.”
While the Dodgers currently rely on Ohtani as a starting pitcher, the postseason may create scenarios where his arm could have maximum impact from the bullpen, especially in late-game, high-leverage situations.
The so-called “Shohei Ohtani rule” permits a player to remain in the game as a hitter only if he starts as the pitcher. Entering as a reliever removes that option, limiting his dual-threat utility.
“It’s simpler to use Ohtani as the starter. However, if the club really needs him in the playoffs and it’s really late in the game, the manager and his team will consider him. Unlikely? Yes. Impossible? No.”
For Dodgers fans, the possibility of witnessing Ohtani earn a postseason save would be a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, adding another remarkable chapter to a career already destined for Cooperstown. With a 73-57 record and playoff contention all but assured, Los Angeles is weighing every possible advantage. In October, that could mean seeing Ohtani in a role few would have imagined—but one that could make all the difference.