Shohei Ohtani likely to have new role when he returns as pitcher

The Los Angeles Dodgers are still hopeful that Shohei Ohtani will pitch for them again this season. If he does, however, it sounds like his role will be different than what it has been in the past.

Manager Dave Roberts suggested that Ohtani will not necessarily be a full-length starter once he is able to pitch for the team again. Instead, the team is looking at using him as a multi-inning opener who can give them a couple innings where needed.

“Any inning, any innings we get from him are bonuses, given he’s a two-way player,” Roberts said, via Sonja Chen of MLB.com. “So I think whether it’s one inning, two innings, three innings, I’m not too concerned about the timeline.”

This was perhaps inevitable given the Dodgers’ reliance on Ohtani as a hitter. The team has done plenty to reinforce its pitching staff and make Ohtani less essential on that side of things. Using him in bursts may make him more effective while reducing further risk of injury.

Ohtani remains more than capable as a pitcher. He has a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts, but multiple injuries have kept him off the mound since July 3. He remains in the team’s lineup, but the Dodgers are taking no risks in rushing him back as a pitcher, and despite the team’s optimism, there is no guarantee he will pitch again in 2026.