Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts left the door open for Shohei Ohtani to pitch again in the 2025 World Series.
After Game 4, in which Ohtani pitched six-plus innings and allowed four earned runs, Ohtani made it known he wanted to prepare to pitch again this World Series.
Read more: Shohei Ohtani Wants to Pitch in Relief for Dodgers in World Series
“Of course, I’d like to prepare to be available for every game in case I’m needed,” Ohtani said in Japanese.
On Wednesday, manager Dave Roberts was asked if Ohtani pitching again was a real possibility.
“If he can go, if it makes sense, certainly he would be an option,” Roberts said.
He added Ohtani would obviously be unavailable for Wednesday’s Game 5, but said he hasn’t spoken to him yet regarding how he’s feeling to pitch again on Friday in Game 6 or a potential Game 7 on Saturday.
“I haven’t talked to Shohei yet,” Roberts said. “But certainly, when you’re talking about Game 6, potential Game 7 of the World Series, all hands on deck, so we’ll see where that goes.”
Ohtani called his Game 4 start “regrettable,” saying he wanted to go seven innings but wasn’t able to get an out after the sixth. However, he didn’t make excuses after the 18-inning game the night before in which he was on base nine times and suffered from cramping in extra innings.
“I have no plans of saying the game yesterday was this or that,” he said.
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Ohtani hasn’t pitched in relief this season (or in his MLB career), so it would be uncharted territory for LA. However, Ohtani famously pitched in relief in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, getting the save in the championship game for Team Japan against Team USA.
For the time being, Ohtani will just focus on hitting, as he and the Dodgers look to get a much-needed win in Game 5 before heading back to Toronto to close out the World Series.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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