Ex-Dodger on Shohei Ohtani Pitching in 2024: ‘Figure Out How to Make It Work’
Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Lance Lynn believes Shohei Ohtani should take the mound in the postseason.
“If I think I can get outs and help the team win the World Series, I’m in. That obviously comes with being able to throw to hitters and do the proper things you would need to do to be ready for the playoffs. If you can have Shohei for 1, 2 inning tops spurt every third game, that helps a lot, especially if you have to use the bullpen a lot in a Game 1 or 2. Then he’s your back-end Game 3 — we obviously saw it in the World Baseball Classic and it was crazy, what he was able to do there. If he’s healthy enough to do that, and thinks he can do it, then there’s no reason why he shouldn’t try it.”
Although Lynn thinks the Dodgers superstar should take the mound in October, he acknowledges there’s a possibility that pitching could affect Ohtani’s performance at the plate.
“You definitely don’t want to lose that bat, that’s for sure. I’ve also seen Shohei go throw 100 and punch out the side in the ninth inning, too. So he does things differently than most. You’ve got to figure out how to make it work.”
Ohtani pitching in the postseason seems like a far-off dream, at least that’s what several members of the Dodgers organization have said.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has rebuffed all speculation surrounding an October pitching role for the Los Angeles superstar.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that it’s “highly unlikely” Ohtani takes the mound in the postseason.
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes was also asked about the likelihood of Ohtani taking the mound in an interview with MLB Network. He also shut down the notion of the Dodgers star pitching for Los Angeles this season.
“That feels very unlikely right now,” Gomes said. “He’s just going through his throwing progression and it feels very good which is important, but at this point, I don’t see him pitching in the postseason. That’s not in the plans as of now.”
Anything is possible with Ohtani, but it’s evident the Dodgers likely won’t push the star’s limit any further this season.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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