The Los Angeles Dodgers signed two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani away from the crosstown rival Los Angeles Angels ahead of last season, and without Ohtani stepping on the mound, won the World Series. Ohtani has made his pitching debut for the Dodgers this season, but could he be better served in the bullpen down the stretch, rather than in the rotation?
Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz wants to see Ohtani close for the Dodgers, and he might have a case for thinking this way.
The Dodgers have the deepest pitching rotation in Major League Baseball, but they have been banged up all season with Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Tony Gonsolin all missing a large chunk of the season. But all four are expected to return down the stretch and could be in play during the playoffs.
Adding those four to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, and Dustin May, the Dodgers would have seven legitimate starting pitching options at the end of the season, not including Ohtani.
So could Ohtani be a closer for the Dodgers? The Dodgers are missing depth inside the bullpen as well, with Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, and Blake Treinen all on the 60-day injured list.
Ohtani has thrown in three games this season, two one-inning outings and one two-inning outing, all as the starting pitcher. The Dodgers certainly will not need eight starting pitchers in October, and if they opened up the door to Ohtani closing, it would allow for some of the most electric moments late in games.
The Dodgers have not expressed any intention of using Ohtani in the bullpen, but with the cavalry arriving from the injured list in the coming months, Ohtani hitting a go-ahead home run and turning around to close out the game might not be as far-fetched as fans might think.
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