Shohei Ohtani is the only true two-way player in baseball right now, and he has been stellar at the plate and on the mound. However, there are limitations to how the Los Angeles Dodgers can use him in the postseason.
In 2022, Major League Baseball officially implemented a rule that allowed Ohtani to remain in a game as a designated hitter once he was removed as a pitcher. However, this rule only applies if Ohtani is the starting pitcher.
Dave Roberts has noted that he will likely start Ohtani should the Dodgers need to play a game three against the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series. This also likely means he would take the ball as a starter in the National League Division Series. In that case, the Dodgers would likely keep using Ohtani as they have, removing him from a start and keeping him in the designated hitter role.
However, Ohtani has made it known that he is willing to pitch in relief for the Dodgers as they look to win consecutive World Series. Roberts has highlighted the logistical problems that could bring, but given the state of the Dodgers’ bullpen, it is possible Ohtani could be one of their better relievers. Unlike last season, the Dodgers have starting pitching depth this postseason, so they are not pressed to use Ohtani as a starter the entire postseason.
Between Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw and Emmet Sheehan, the Dodgers have options early in the game. However, the back end of their bullpen has been inconsistent, and Ohtani may be a better option to pitch late. It’s hard to forget what he did as a closer in the World Baseball Classic, but using him in relief presents a new challenge.
The rules do not allow for Ohtani to enter the game as a reliever and the Dodgers to keep the designated hitter spot in the lineup. Should Ohtani come out of the bullpen, he would not be able to stay in the game as a designated hitter and would have to play in the field to stay in the lineup.
Ohtani has played 8 1/3 innings in the outfield in the big leagues. However, that happened in 2021 when he was with the Los Angeles Angels. He has played 64 games as an outfielder in Japan when has was with the Nippon Ham Fighters.
The Dodgers may want to stay away from having to manage a game like they are playing the days of the old National League, where there was no designated hitter. However, the win-or-go-home nature of October may force Roberts’ hand.
Additionally, there are some unlikely but interesting ways the Dodgers could use Ohtani. The way the rules are set up, Ohtani could technically start the game as a pitcher, be removed for a reliever while remaining the designated hitter, and then return later in the game as a reliever, forfeiting the team’s designated hitter. This is highly unlikely, but Sam McDowell did this for the Cleveland Indians in 1970 — though that was before the designated hitter rule was in effect. He started the game, moved to first base and then returned to throw the final two innings.
Ohtani is a one-of-a-kind player, and he figures to take the mound for the first time in October in his MLB career. All eyes will be on how the Dodgers use his two-way abilities.
Photo: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani is checked by third base umpire Alex Tosi after pitching in the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
