Dodgers GM explains Shohei Ohtani's pitching plans ahead of World Series

The 2024 World Series is expected to be one of the most even in recent years. The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees have star power, depth and elite pitching. In such a close series, both teams are looking for possible advantages. For example, the ability to use one of baseball's best hitters as a pitcher. So would the Dodgers consider adding Shohei Ohtani to the mound to bolster their bullpen?

It's an intriguing possibility; Ohtani is more than a year removed from surgery on his second arm, has rehabbed all season and has experience finishing big games.

Before Friday night's series began, baseball team president Andrew Friedman raised the possibility that Ohtani would be available for the most important series of the season.

LOS ANGELES – Shohei Ohtani reacts as Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Tommy Edman (not pictured) hits an RBI single against the New York Mets in the inning of Game 2 of a playoff baseball game on Monday, October 14, at Dodger Stadium National League Championship Series beats. 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

Dodgers say Shohei Ohtani will not be available to pitch in the World Series

Friedman confirmed in an interview on ESPN Radio that Ohtani will not be part of the organization's pitching plans regardless of how the series ends.

“He’s a one-sided player for the next 10 days,” Friedman explained. “And then he’ll be a two-way player again.”

Manager Dave Roberts was equally blunt: “There is no way, none at all. Thank you for asking,” he said in response to a question about Ohtani pitching.

If there's a weakness on the Dodgers' roster, it's pitching. Their starters generally haven't gone deep into games, and there's likely a bullpen game coming up in the fourth game of the series. That wasn't Friedman's intention, but the injuries to Tyler Glasnow, Gavin Stone, River Ryan, Clayton Kershaw and Dustin May completely devastated Los Angeles. Ohtani's pitching would have provided more depth in a pen that will certainly be relied upon heavily against the Yankees' fearsome lineup.

On the other hand, Ohtani had the best offensive season of his career, focusing solely on hitting. It's hard to justify messing around with a formula that has worked perfectly so far.

Still, he's only in the first year of his 10-year contract and the Dodgers are hoping he can help them on the mound in future postseasons by remaining cautious now.