Shohei Ohtani says he’s getting ready to pitch in Toronto as the World Series shifts to Canada, writes Andy McCullough at The Athletic. What could that look like?
McCullough argues that it should be as a starter for Game 7 thanks to the eponymous Ohtani Rule, which was updated in 2022. It states that a starting pitcher can stay in the game as a designated hitter after he stops his pitching duties, but once a reliever leaves the game, they leave for good—meaning the team would lose both their designated hitter and
reliever upon exiting.
The most likely options for another Ohtani appearance, then, are as either a starter or a closer. He’s familiar with both roles after closing out the championship game of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but as McCullough points out, that required him to warm up during the game, which can get complicated if he’s still in as a DH.
Ohtani’s injuries add another layer to the decision-making process. That WBC outing happened before his second elbow surgery, and the Dodgers have been managing Ohtani’s workload very carefully as he recovers from that procedure.
Manager Dave Roberts isn’t quite sure what the next couple of games will look like—but he’s happy to consider all possibilities. “Certainly he would be an option,” he said.
Dodgers Notes
We all know the Dodgers aren’t hitting, but what’s causing the collective slump? Alden Gonzalez at ESPN digs into the team’s offensive issues, highlighting the changes Roberts has already tried to make and players’ thoughts on what else needs to change.
The bullpen could also use some work, writes Dylan Hernández at the Los Angeles Times. In a critical moment of last night’s game, Roberts had very few options: Keep starter Blake Snell in, turn to Roki Sasaki and risk losing his closer too early, or see what Edgardo Henriquez could do. Henriquez may have been the riskiest option, but he was the only one that made sense. That lack of options is proving to be a more and more urgent issue as the World Series continues.
And how about a little bit of levity: Chris Willman at Variety spoke with Dodger Stadium organist Dieter Ruhle about how the musician’s clever, often witty song choices liven up games, especially that 18-inning marathon earlier this week.
