Dave Roberts hints at possibility of Shohei Ohtani returning to the mound this postseason

It has been over a year since Shohei Ohtani last took the mound, as the two-time MVP has been restricted to hitting since tearing his ACL late last season.

While the Dodgers entered this season under the presumption that Ohtani would be a pure hitter during the first year of his record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract, there now appears to be a non-zero chance that he will take the mound for Los Angeles this fall.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hinted at the chance in an interview with the Los Angeles Times , saying, I wouldnt say no way ...

Im not going to close the door 100 percent.

Roberts echoed this sentiment during a Sirius XM MLB Network appearance, adding, Shohei is on board.

Well just have to see how it plays out.

Even so, the prospect of Ohtani returning to the mound this postseason remains a long shot.

After all, pitching in high-stakes playoff games after a year-long absence is no small feat, even for Ohtani.

As Roberts cautioned, The problem is, in reality, he hasnt thrown a leverage pitch in over a year.

If he were to come out and things go awry, its not worth the potential injury.

You cant replicate the stress of a postseason inning.

I dont think its worth it.

Ohtanis limited postseason experiencewhether on the mound or at the plateadds another layer of uncertainty.

During his six seasons with the Angels, he rarely encountered high-leverage situations.

If Ohtani does return to pitching, the Dodgers would regain one of the top arms in the league.

In 2023, Ohtani posted a 3.14 ERA across 23 games, recording 167 strikeouts in 132 innings.

His 2022 campaign was even more dominant, with a 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts over 166 innings in 28 starts.

One advantage for Ohtani, should he pitch in the postseason, is the unfamiliarity many National League hitters have with him.

For example, the Diamondbacks have only faced Ohtani once, back in 2021 , when he struck out eight batters over five innings, allowing just two earned runs.

Of the lineup he faced that day, only Ketel Marte and Pavin Smith remain on Arizonas current roster.

Regardless of whether Ohtani pitches this postseason, he is chasing another historic achievement at the plate.

With fewer than 20 games left in the season, Ohtani is on the verge of becoming the first player in MLB history to achieve a 50/50 season.

He needs just three more home runs and two more stolen bases to reach this unprecedented milestone.

This article first appeared on Burn City Sports and was syndicated with permission..

This article has been shared from the original article on yardbarker, here is the link to the original article.