Ohtani intends to pitch in 2027, Brian Murphy of MLB.com reports. "Yes, definitely," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton when asked if he plans to pitch in 2027. "And looking forward to having a better season next year."
It remains to be seen whether Ohtani will have any offseason physical procedures, and how a potential lockout might affect his rehab and subsequent return date. Ohtani was great when he pitched, but he was last able to pitch July 3 due to his left knee injury and later biceps inflammation.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Finally homers in Game 4 loss
Rotowire
Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and three strikeouts in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Brewers on Thursday.
After being bumped down in the order, the Japanese superstar returned to the leadoff spot Thursday and gave the Dodgers some hope and a 4-0 lead in the second inning with a three-run homer, which was his first long ball since Aug. 18 in Colorado. However, Ohtani struck out in his other three plate appearances, including during the seventh with one out and the tying run on third base. The 32-year-old played through nagging knee and biceps injuries down the stretch and finished the playoffs with a .192/.323/.308 slash line in eight games, with his struggles being reflective of the Dodgers offense as a whole while being swept by the Brewers. According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Ohtani isn't sure if he'll require any surgeries during the offseason to address the injuries, which leaves his availability heading into spring training a bit up in the air.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Elevated back to leadoff spot
Rotowire
Ohtani will start at designated hitter and bat leadoff Thursday in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Brewers.
The struggling Ohtani was moved down to the No. 6 spot in the lineup for Game 3 as he battles through nagging injuries. He did reach base three times Wednesday, though Ohtani is still looking for his first extra-base hit and RBI this postseason.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Batting sixth in NLCS Game 3
Rotowire
Ohtani will start at designated hitter and bat sixth Wednesday in Game 3 of the NLCS versus the Dodgers.
The Dodgers are sticking with Ohtani -- who is playing through multiple injuries -- in the lineup despite his .156/.283/.200 batting line with no home runs dating back to Aug. 19. However, they will push him down to the No. 6 spot, which is the lowest he's batted since joining the Dodgers.
Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Ohtani will be in the lineup for Game 3 of the NLCS against Milwaukee on Wednesday, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
Ohtani has been struggling mightily at the plate while playing through multiple injuries, slashing just .156/.283/.200 with one RBI and 36 strikeouts in 24 games (including the postseason) since Aug. 19. Between the 32-year-old's offensive woes and the Dodgers facing a 2-0 series deficit in the NLCS, the team was reportedly considering keeping Ohtani on the bench and deploying Josue De Paula as its DH in Game 3. However, Roberts said Ohtani was "adamant" that he is healthy enough to remain in the lineup and close to turning things around, so the Dodgers will stick with their franchise superstar and presumably keep him near the middle of their batting order. He will match up against southpaw Robert Gasser, against whom Ohtani is 0-for-6 in his career with a walk and three strikeouts.
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Could be held out of Game 3 of NLCS
Rotowire
The Dodgers are considering benching Ohtani for Game 3 of the NLCS against Milwaukee on Wednesday, Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report.
Ohtani has struggled so far in the series, going 1-for-7 with a walk and three strikeouts. However, his poor hitting has extended far beyond the NLCS -- since hitting three homers over two games in Colorado on Aug. 17 and 18, he's failed to go deep in his subsequent 24 contests (including the playoffs) while posting a meager .490 OPS. The two-way superstar has admitted to not being 100 percent and said through interpreter Will Ireton, "I haven't been able to get a good grasp of the root cause of all this ... I think that process is going to happen during the offseason when I'm going to have a little bit more time to be able to address it. But as of now, it's something I'm just going to have to manage." Los Angeles has thus far given Ohtani an opportunity to try to work out of the slump, but with the team now down 0-2 against Milwaukee, manager Dave Roberts said following Monday's loss that he'll have "a conversation" with Ohtani on Tuesday to "try to figure out what's best for him, what's best for us." Should Ohtani indeed be benched, Josue De Paula is expected to get an opportunity to start at DH.
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Dropped to fifth in lineup
Rotowire
Ohtani will start at designated hitter and will bat fifth Tuesday in Game 3 of the NLDS against Atlanta.
It's the lowest Ohtani has batted since back in 2020 when he was still with the Angels. Ohtani has gone 1-for-4 at the plate in each of the first two games of the series, and he collected just a .503 OPS with zero home runs and a 34.9 percent strikeout rate over his final 18 regular-season contests. With Ohtani down in the No. 5 spot for Game 3, Mookie Betts has been elevated to the leadoff role.
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