Can we blame Shohei Ohtani for thinking that he can do it all? He recently said that the’d be willing to play the outfield if it allowed him to pitch in relief and stay in the game, but manager Dave Roberts isn’t so sure about that.
“I don’t know if it’s a pipe dream, but it’s very commendable from Shohei,” Roberts said, acknowledging Ohtani’s willingness to do whatever it takes to help the team.
Ohtani has made only six total appearances in the outfield, all for the Angels, according to Yahoo Sports.
It’s been a minute, and it would likely take quite a lot for him to truly be effective on defense.
Is it worth it? Dylan Hernández at the Los Angeles Times says that Ohtani in the outfield is a failure on the Dodgers’ part: “Ironically, he signed with the Dodgers so that he wouldn’t have to be in this situation again,” Hernández writes. “But here he is, sounding as if he thinks he has to do everything by himself.”
Then there’s the issue of Ohtani’s health. Even if he were technically capable of starting a game, pitching in relief, playing the outfield, and knocking in a few runs—maybe not all in the same game, but let’s say consecutive games—he has to be healthy enough to do it. The Dodgers have been cautious with Ohtani so far, and they might be rewarded with an even stronger player next season for their efforts. If you ask me, that alone means it’s not worth it to have this former Angel in the outfield right now.
Dodgers Notes
Blake Snell doesn’t like having the bullpen finishing his innings. “I’m very adamant about that,” he said. “I don’t want them in that situation. I put myself in this, I can pitch my way out of it.” He successfully convinced Roberts to leave him in and finish up the seventh, giving the Dodgers a surge of energy to finish the rest of the game, too, writes Sonja Chen at MLB.com.
Tanner Scott hasn’t had an easy time of it lately, but he’s regaining a more aggressive attitude that he hopes will carry him through the rest of the season, writes Bill Plunkett at the Orange County Register.
With the Dodgers’ bullpen struggling, is good starting pitching enough to counterbalance the problem? Mike Petriello at MLB.com thinks so, especially considering the power that a mostly-healthy rotation provides.
