Can we truly see Shohei Ohtani playing the outfield for the Dodgers this October? It’s not as crazy as it sounds, as fans might remember him doing just that for the Angels back in 2021. He made seven appearances in the outfield that season—six games in right field and one in left. The speculation has suddenly resurfaced after Ohtani himself opened the door to the possibility.

“I’ve had conversations with various people, and the idea of me pitching in relief has come up,” Ohtani said to the Japanese media. “As a player, I want to be prepared to handle whatever role is needed. If I do end up pitching out of the bullpen, I think that could also mean I’d need to play in the outfield afterward, depending on the situation. So I want to be ready for anything, no matter what comes my way.” 

But manager Dave Roberts may have just put all that speculation to rest. Jack Harris, the Dodgers beat writer for the LA Times, revealed the team’s plan on X. The post read: “Also, Dave Roberts said Shohei Ohtani’s next start will be Tuesday in Arizona. That would keep him on track to make a potential start in the wild card round, but still TBD exactly how the Dodgers would line the rotation up.”

Ohtani’s start on Tuesday, September 23, sets the club’s intentions for October perfectly. The Dodgers’ regular season ends on September 29. The Wild Card round begins the very next day. This schedule gives Ohtani a full week before a potential Game 1 start. This move, coming right after his outfield comments, suggests the Dodgers want him in a conventional rotation role for October.

The whole conversation started because of the team’s most glaring weakness: its bullpen. In September, the relief corps posted a 5.65 ERA, raising serious questions about their ability to close out tight playoff games. This made us wonder if Ohtani could be the solution, though he has never pitched in relief in his MLB career, except famously closing out the World Baseball Classic title game for Japan against Team USA in 2023.

But because of the designated hitter rule, if Ohtani starts a game as the DH and then pitches in relief, there’s a problem. The Dodgers lose his bat once he is removed from the mound. The only way to avoid it was to use Ohtani in a defensive position. This is why his willingness to play the field was so significant, and his postseason role was the subject of intense debate.

Shohei Ohtani continues to build his MVP case with a brilliant performance

In his most recent outing against the Phillies, Ohtani tossed five perfect, no-hit innings before being pulled after 68 pitches to manage his workload. He also crushed his 50th home run of the season in that very same game and became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 homers and strike out 50 batters in a single year.

At the plate, Ohtani currently leads the National League with a 1.013 on-base slugging and a .617 slugging percentage. And with 52 home runs, he is currently chasing the league home run title. And on the mound, despite the limited 41 innings pitched, he has a 3.29 ERA and has stacked 54 strikeouts with 11.85 strikeouts per nine innings.

So, when asked about Ohtani’s offer to play the outfield, Dave Roberts was appreciative. “I don’t know if it’s a pipe dream, but it’s very commendable from Shohei,” Roberts said.“There are a lot of variables. But to know that he can potentially run out there, it’s great. Maybe just in theory. But again, I love him for even throwing that out there.”

If Ohtani remains a starter, the Dodgers still need to fix their bullpen, and one of the most exciting options they have right now is rookie Roki Sasaki. He recently began pitching out of the bullpen in his rehab assignment. His fastball touched an electric 100.1 mph. Other arms like Brock Stewart, Kyle Hurt, and Michael Kopech are expected to be activated soon.