Dave Roberts Could Turn Dodgers Clubhouse Upside Down With Major Shohei Ohtani Call Amid ‘Weird’ Pitching Strategy

When the off-season rolled in last, most fans wanted to give the Los Angeles Dodgers the rings, even before the season started. But the baseball world is not simple, and LA’s depth took a serious hit—and so did their performance. But now, finally, they are looking like themselves, and with this, Dave Roberts might have to make a delicate decision. One that can flip the entire clubhouse dynamic, and at the center of it all is Shohei Ohtani.

The Dodger cornerstone is back on the mound this season after his Tommy John surgery. And he is looking sharp even though he is coming in for limited action. In just 19 innings, he posted a 2.37 ERA with 25 strikeouts. He once again proved that he hasn’t lost his bite. But nevertheless, the Dodgers have been cautious, capping him at five innings per start. Because his health is vital for the plate too, and he leads the NL in runs scored and OPS.

However, as the postseason looms large, the whispers are growing loud—could Ohtani actually be used as a full-time starter?

USA Today, in their column mentioned, “It seemed unthinkable just a couple months ago, when the Dodgers were slow-walking Shohei Ohtani’s pitching ramp-up and an October of one- and two-inning bursts seemed likely. But after striking out nine and maintaining his stuff over five innings of his last start, it’s only fair to wonder: Will we see the full Ohtani in the postseason?” Now that’s a million-dollar question.

For now, Dave Roberts has suggested that the five-inning plan stand, given that the pitching staff has gone through plenty with Glasnow and Blake Snell’s injuries. Meanwhile, Ohtani also suffered an injury scare recently when a 93.7 mph line drive drilled him in the leg while he was playing against the Colorado Rockies. Thankfully, it turned out to be just a bruise—but it brought those walls of cautiousness back for the team.

The massive irony is that while Roberts has been careful with Ohtani, the rest of the rotation is looking stable. As USA Today mentioned, “Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ pitching plans continue to stay weird. Where it once looked like they’d be back to spackle-and-Casparius postseason plans, the horses are aligning.” See, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is back to leading, Snell and Glasnow are both healthy again, Kershaw looks great at 37, and Emmet Sheehan is also giving them the depth. So the once-patchwork postseason staff is now looking great. Still, the biggest wild card is Ohtani, and whether LA can push the risk limit remains to be seen.

Dodgers to land another October arm?

In shocking news, Walker Buehler is back on the market after being released by the Boston Red Sox. He has two days to sign with another team if he wants to be eligible for the 2025 postseason. So the clock is ticking. But let’s be honest—October is where Buehler has built his agent around. Hence, teams clocking him won’t be a scarce thing.

The LA Dodgers know better than anyone that when healthy and locked in, Buehler has been money in postseason games. He delivered big time during the 2020 and 2024 World Series runs. The Dodgers for sure now have a loaded staff, but one with proven postseason experience—that can make all the difference. But LA should look behind their back, because they might not be the only team paying attention.

There is chatter about the New York Yankees and Buehler tall thanks to Gary Sheffield Jr. He took to X to urge New York to grab Buehler as a multi-inning reliever. For him, it would help protect the one-inning arm for the stretch runs. And given injuries are always lurking and the bullpen looks thin, it does make sense. But the question is whether teams are willing to gamble, because Buehler, while no doubt a star, hasn’t delivered in Boston. He finished 7-7 with a 5.45 ERA in 22 starts before being moved to the bullpen and then eventually being released. That’s a far cry from what his days in LA were.

The next 48 hours could be crucial!