The door is not completely shut for Los Angeles Dodgers fans to see Shohei Ohtani pitch before the season ends.
Ohtani, who underwent elbow surgery last September, has been limited to hitting this season.
However, speaking with the Los Angeles Times, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not rule out letting the two-way superstar pitch despite not yet stepping on the mound in his new colors.
‘I wouldn’t say no way,’ Roberts said. ‘I’m not going to close the door 100 percent.’
With his injury, Ohtani did not start throwing off a mound until this past August. Given the short build-up, Roberts admitted that Ohtani facing hitters in a game late this season is still a long shot.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is not ruling out Ohtani’s pitching with 15 games remaining
‘If I was scripting a movie or writing a book, it would be a no-brainer that he comes out of rehabilitation and throws the last pitch,’ Roberts said.
‘The problem is, in reality, he hasn’t thrown a leverage pitch in over a year. If he were to come out and it does go awry, it’s not worth potential injury,’ he added. ‘You just cannot duplicate the stress of that one inning. I just don’t think it’s worth it.’
While teasing a possible pitching return for the Japanese star, Roberts indicated that his health will be the primary factor. He also noted that Ohtani is itching to get back on the mound.
‘Shohei is on board,’ Roberts said on Sirius XM MLB Network Radio on Friday. ‘We’ll just have to see how it plays out.’
In his first year in LA, Ohtani is putting up historical numbers and proving worthy of his record 10-year, $700million deal to move from the Angels in Orange County.
Ohtani’s two-way services may come in handy with the team’s laundry list of injuries. The Dodgers’ starters Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, and others are missing time due to nagging complications.
Nonetheless, Roberts’ side holds an 87-60 record, sitting ahead of the Diamondbacks in the NL West with 15 games remaining.
Shohei Ohtani could be facing some tough news regarding one of his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates, who is also a pitcher like him. Recent reports indicate that this teammate has been dealing with an injury.
The Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts could be delivering some unfortunate news to Shohei Ohtani in the coming hours. According to recent reports, one of the team’s new starting pitchers might miss the rest of the season due to an elbow injury.
The pitcher in question is Tyler Glasnow, who is said to have suffered a sprained elbow. According to Dave Roberts, it is highly unlikely that Glasnow will return to play in the final weeks of the regular season or any potential playoffs.
It’s worth noting that Glasnow is not a rookie; he joined the Dodgers in 2024, much like Shohei Ohtani, and he had previous experience with other teams. Before moving to California, Glasnow played for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2018.
Tyler Glasnow, along with Shohei Ohtani, is one of the six starting pitchers for the Dodgers in the 2024 MLB season. So far, he would be the second pitcher on that list to be sidelined, joining Gavin Stone, who has also been out of action for some time.
How Many Games Did Glasnow Pitch in 2024?
Before his injury, Glasnow had a 9-6 record for the current season with 22 starts. His most recent game was on August 11 against Pittsburgh, a 6-5 home victory. His ERA stood at 3.49, with a personal WHIP of 0.948.
How Much MLB Experience Does Glasnow Have?Glasnow began his professional career in 2016 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. After leaving that team in 2018, he joined the Tampa Bay Rays, where he played for a total of six seasons before signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 at the age of 30.
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