If you think the Dodgers’ only two-way player is Shohei Ohtani, well, you might have to think again. The Dodgers have been deploying position players on the mound more often than you might expect. In their recent series against the Padres and now even against the Giants, it wasn’t a bullpen arm that pitched in a blowout; it was rather Enrique Hernandez. Yes, you heard that right.

So, while fans inside the stadium got a few laughs and social media exploded with reactions, a larger debate is unfolding. Are teams leaning too heavily on the position player pitching gimmick? And is this an embarrassing sign for the competitive integrity of the game? Well, with the Dodgers now making it a pattern, MLB analyst Ben Verlander joined the conversation.

“It’s honestly pretty embarrassing for the Dodgers to bring in Enrique Hernandez to pitch up 11-0, then have to bring in someone else when all of a sudden it’s 11-5,” Verlander wrote on his X account.

But why does Verlander feel it’s an embarrassment? Because the game would have been perfect for the Dodgers, considering they were leading 11-0. Bringing in Hernandez helped the Giants put 5 runs in afterwards. Enough to force the Dodgers to place an established arm to complete the game. So, as per Verlander, placing Hernandez served no purpose for the Dodgers, rather it reduced the difference.

While Enrique Hernandez gave up four runs in his recent appearance against the Giants, it’s important to note that his performance on the mound against the Padres told a different story. Over 2.1 innings, he surrendered just one earned run, a surprising outing, even in a role far outside his regular duties.

The Dodgers, known for their forward-thinking, might have looked to replicate that earlier success against the Giants. Beyond mere experimentation, the move also hinted at a strategic effort to preserve their bullpen arms in a long season where every inning could pay off in October.

But do the fans agree with this growing trend of putting position players to pitch? Well, these choices spark debate, no doubt, but this approach is here to stay.

The Dodgers just fired up a new baseball debate

You know what happens when there is any potential change to the status quo in baseball. We saw it in case of the Robot umpire as well. Not everyone happens to be on the same page. “The Dodgers, which are winning, did that very disrespectful thing against the Giants to bring in the field player to pitch,” wrote a fan.

So, the Dodgers brought Hernandez when they were comfortably cruising with an 11-0 lead. The game was just about to go their way. Now, putting a position player to pitch at that very moment when they were certain to win was probably a bit disrespectful, as per this fan. Well, we got the point, but it had probably more to do with team’s strategy rather than disrespecting the opponent.

“It’s a baseball issue. The amount of position players pitching now is ridiculous,” wrote another fan. Ahh, someone just got the trend right, without putting the onus only on the Dodgers. This year, we saw Jake Bauers of the Brewers pitch in back‑to‑back games on March 30. So, the trend is gaining traction, considering how it helps preserve the pitching arms for the high-leverage situations.

The traditional way of using the bullpen after the starters might change. We might see such two-way players more often in the coming time. But hey, what’s even more fun than watching a position player pitch? It’s when the position player is projected to go ahead of an established arm. “Enrique is gonna have more innings than Glasnow,” one fan chimed in. Ahh, we always love the witty nature of the baseball fans.

While Tyler Glasnow is still in rehab, fans joke that Hernandez may leave him behind in the meantime. Well, Glasnow currently has an ERA of 4.50 with 23 SOs this year, while Hernandez has 1 SO with an ERA of 9. So, no comparison between the two, but yes, a witty take!

While some fans are against the idea of using position players as pitchers, there are others rallying behind it as well. “Agreed. But I guess that’s how much Dave wanted to give the bullpen a rest,” a netizen commented.

Be it Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, or Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers have a long list of injured pitchers. So, it surely makes sense to preserve the arms when the game is going 11-0. If putting position players can help manage the workload of the pitchers without affecting the result, it surely is a good strategy.

“Would have been embarrassing if they lost. They didn’t,” another fan chimed in. While Verlander considers the Dodgers’ move embarrassing, not everyone agrees. Yes, winning the game 11-0 would have been perfect, but 11-5 is still a win and if the pitchers workload can be managed while winning, why not?

With more teams looking to protect their pitching staff, we might have a whole new bunch of two-way players on the horizon. What do you think?