The Los Angeles Dodgers will not have Shohei Ohtani as the starting pitcher for Games 1 or 2 of the upcoming NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Dodgers are still undecided on when Ohtani will be pitching.
More news: Dodgers Announce NLCS Game 1 Starting Pitcher
Ohtani tossed a 2.87 ERA this season across 47 innings of work, slowly ramping up from a 2023 Tommy John revision surgery which sidelined him from the mound for all of 2024. The three-time MVP struck out 62 batters and walked just nine over this time, earning an ERA+ of 145, which is almost 50 percent higher than league average.
There is not currently a clear reason as to why Ohtani isn’t slated to start either game, but Game 1 starter Blake Snell has taken things to another level during the postseason, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto who is set to start Game 2 unleashed a dominant performance to close out the Wild Card round (despite a forgettable NLDS Game 4).
Ohtani opened up the NLDS for the Dodgers, and aside from a three-run second inning, Ohtani struck out nine, walked just one, and earned the win for Game 1 across six innings pitched.
Manager Dave Roberts recently spoke on Ohtani’s performance in the batter’s box during the NLDS, which left a lot to be desired. Ohtani went just 1-for-18 with an RBI as the Dodgers moved onto the NLCS.
“We’re not going to win the World Series with that sort of performance,” Roberts said. “So we’re counting on a recalibration, getting back into the strike zone, and understanding when he faces left-handed pitching what they’re gonna try to do – crowd him in, off (the plate), spin him away. He’s just gotta be better at managing the hitting zone.
“I’m counting on it. We’re all counting on it.”
Before the Dodgers decide where Ohtani will pitch in the NLCS, ensuring his power bat is up to his high standards should be first on the to-do list.
More news: Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman Claims Shohei Ohtani is Underrated
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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2 Responses
Ohtani won’t start game 1 because we want him starting game 3 at home in Los Angeles. Ticket priced will be astronomically high. History is being made Dodgers nation. History is being made.
Do you also think part of the reason Ohtani isn’t pitching is because of his struggles at the plate in October?