The Los Angeles Dodgers have been extremely fortunate to see reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani get back to the pitcher’s mound and start to witness the full extent of his baseball prowess.
Despite his ability to play two positions at an elite level, there has been the unprecedented notion of Ohtani moving to the outfield with October right around the corner. The only reason that Ohtani would have to be in the outfield is if he were pitching out of the bullpen and would want to stay in the game as a hitter after he is done on the mound.
Manager Dave Roberts spoke on his superstar offering to play in the outfield this postseason if that’s what it would take to help his team.
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“I don’t know if it’s a pipe dream, but it’s very commendable from Shohei,” Roberts said. “… There’s a lot of variables, but to know that he can potentially run out there, it’s great. Maybe just in theory. But again, I love him for even throwing that out there.”
Ohtani spoke last week on the situations that may arise this October and how he would have to prepare if need be.
“I’ve been having various conversations with different people, and that topic has come up as well,” Ohtani said in Japanese in a rough translation to English. “That applies to the mound, and possibly even the outfield. If I end up going as a reliever, then depending on what follows, there could be situations where I also need to play defense in the outfield. So no matter what situation arises, I want to make sure I’m prepared to handle it.”
As Roberts noted, the fact that Ohtani has even offered such a massive shift is a sign of a great leader and teammate.
This wouldn’t be a completely new position for Ohtani, but it has still been quite some time since he has played a position that isn’t pitcher or designated hitter. Ohtani logged 62 outfield appearances back in Nippon Professional Baseball, and while with the Los Angeles Angels, made seven appearances in the outfield in 2021.
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Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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2 Responses
This (and any comment about Mookie moving to shortstop) makes me think back to a few years ago when Mike Trout dismissed out of hand Joe Maddon’s suggestion that Trout move to a corner outfield position to reduce the wear and tear on his body.
It’s funny how things like that work out! and sure enough, Trout was back in right field before his knee injury