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Former NL West Player Calls Out Dodgers for Soon-to-be Shohei Ohtani Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jon Conahan | Last updated May 24, 2025 2:50 PM ET

Does it make sense to have Shohei Ohtani pitch? That's the decision the Los Angeles Dodgers eventually have to make.

It looks likely that the Dodgers will allow him to go back on the mound soon, as he's throwing bullpens. After undergoing Tommy John surgery, Ohtani has proved to be one of the top hitters in Major League Baseball.

However, when the team signed him to a $700 million deal, the hope was for him to do both. It's a tough decision that the Dodgers have to make, but ultimately, his value is on both sides of the baseball.

When Ohtani was healthy and on the mound, he posted a 2.33 ERA and struck out 219 hitters during the 2022 season for the Los Angeles Angels.

Despite that, former Colorado Rockies outfielder and broadcaster Ryan Spilborghs questioned if the Dodgers are making the right decision. He said it's not worth it with the offense production that Ohtani gives them, which is a fair argument.

"It's not worth it with the offensive numbers Shohei Ohtani is putting up" to have him pitch, Spilborghs said on MLB Network Radio. "Last year he had a 1.036 OPS. This year he's at 1.073. Those numbers are only going to go down once he starts pitching."

In a disaster situation, the Dodgers would lose Ohtani on the mound and offensively. The team needs his production at the plate, as he's currently hitting .304 with 17 home runs and a 194 OPS+.

He's as good as it gets offensively, and with the injury situations that the Dodgers have faced, they have to be cautious here.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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