The Los Angeles Dodgers will not have Shohei Ohtani as their starting pitcher for Games 1 or 2 of the upcoming NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Dodgers still don’t know when Ohtani will pitch.
More news: Dodgers announce NLCS Game 1 starting pitcher
Ohtani pitched a 2.87 ERA over 47 innings of work this season, slowly climbing the ranks after 2023 Tommy John revision surgery that sidelined him for all of 2024. The three-time MVP struck out 62 batters and walked just nine in that span, earning an ERA+ of 145, which is almost 50 percent higher than the league average.
There’s currently no clear reason why Ohtani doesn’t plan 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 the NLDS for the Dodgers, and other than a three-run second inning, Ohtani struck out nine, walked just one and earned the win for Game 1 over six innings pitched.
Manager Dave Roberts recently spoke about 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 advanced to the NLCS.
“We’re not going to win the World Series with this kind of performance,” Roberts said. “So we’re counting on a recalibration, getting back to the strike zone and understanding what they’re going to try when he faces left-handed pitching: pushing him in, pushing him off the plate, spinning him away. He just has to be better at managing the strike zone.”
“I’m counting on it. We’re all counting on it.”
Before the Dodgers decide where Ohtani will pitch in the NLCS, making sure his power bat lives 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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This story is being updated…
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