Dodgers Urged to Make Bold Game-Changing Shohei Ohtani Move Amid World Series Repeat Hopes

Sulking from their painful collapse the night before, the Dodgers desperately needed Shohei Ohtani at his best to notch a 5-2 comeback win against the Orioles. He crushed a pair of home runs and reached base five times as the Dodgers snapped their five-game skid. All he needed was two pitches to wash away the Dodgers’ frustration from the night before, crushing a Tomoyuki Sugano sinker over right field for his 12th leadoff home run of this season. At the same time, the Dodgers, who used the last offseason wisely after securing the 2024 World Series title, have the odds stacked in their favor for another title. They added marquee talent around their already loaded roster, including Shohei Ohtani, last winter. Despite these moves and Ohtani tearing it up at the plate, the growing debate on his pitching role is not yet settled.

Now, for a World Series repeat, two insiders weighed in on whether the Dodgers should use their two-way star as a closer instead of a starting pitcher. Well, as Norma Garcíapara, the MLB legend and analyst, expressed, “The absence of an absolute closer is putting enormous pressure on the entire bullpen and batting lineup. There are no safe scores for the Dodgers.” For a while, Dodgers fans thought they had their closer in Ryan Helsley, before he was acquired by the New York Mets.

The failed move was just the beginning of the Dodgers’ problems. The current roster just keeps collapsing. Last night, Dave Roberts pulled Yoshinobu Yamamoto out, who fell just short of the historic no-hitter, and brought in the bullpen; they collapsed embarrassingly.

Treinen gave up a double to Jeremiah Jackson and then walked Gunnar Henderson and Ryan Mountcastle, loading the bases. Colton Cowser came in to replace him but walked in the winning run on just his fifth pitch. When Tanner Scott came in, he couldn’t save the team either. He gave up a two-run single to Emmanuel Rivera with 1-1.

Insider Jerry Hairston Jr. agreed with Garcíapara. He stated, “The job of the Dodgers’ bullpen pitchers is to get outs.” If you ask Hairston, the ultimate solution for the Dodgers’ pitching situation is, “Once the postseason begins, Ohtani should take over as the closer. Please correct me if I’m wrong.” For the record, the right-hander has spent the entire season as a starting pitcher. Ohtani’s power at the plate has time and again given the Dodgers an edge. As far as his pitching role is concerned, it won’t be easy for the all-time primary starter to fit into the reliever’s role.

Will Shohei Ohtani be able to fit in a closer role?

On Friday, Shohei Ohtani took the mound as Taylor Glasnow was dealing with back tightness and was consequently removed from a start of his own. Meanwhile, Ohtani looked sharp, hurling five strikeouts across 3.2 innings. He allowed 0 runs or walks.

While he’s always been a starter until now, it’d be difficult for him to fit in a reliever’s role, as agreed by Los Angeles Angels insider Jeff Fletcher. He told Sodgers Nation’ Doug McKain that if Ohtani is on deck to bat, he will not have time to warm up to pitch.

Dodgers’ coach Mark Prior had a solution for the problem Fletcher presented. “Basically, he starts and can DH, or you’re bringing him in hypothetically in more of an end-of-game situation and know that, hopefully, the game is not continuing,” Prior believes it will not be a problem.

He also added that Ohtani would be open to pitching out of the bullpen. Particularly in a high-stakes postseason game. However, he also made it clear that he wouldn’t want to speak on Ohtani’s behalf. Prior has picked up on that claim because of the way Ohtani has been passionate about pitching.

Given that Ohtani is a team-first guy, do you think he’ll be a reliever in the postseason if the Dodgers want him to?