The Dodgers’ postseason plans just ran into a reality check, and it came from a man who knows October baseball better than most. As fans dream of Shohei Ohtani taking the ball in a crucial ninth inning or sprinting out to left field for a dramatic October cameo, a former World Series champion is urging L.A. to pump the brakes. His blunt message: this is no time to gamble with baseball’s most valuable player.

Ohtani, who has been nothing short of historic in his second year in Dodger blue, enters the postseason with a .282/.394/.614 with 51 home runs, making him the centerpiece of a lineup already stacked with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. But the thought of Ohtani, just a year removed from his second major elbow surgery, suddenly becoming a bullpen weapon or outfield defender has some insiders worried it’s a dangerous risk that could jeopardize the $700 million face of the franchise.

When posed the question of whether Ohtani’s playing in the outfield in the postseason and coming out of the bullpen or Rōki Sasaki makes the postseason roster, “Can I say neither?” said A.J. Pierzynski on Foul Territory, shutting down the idea. “So, he’s not coming out of the bullpen, he’s not playing in the outfield, and Sasaki’s not making the postseason roster.” Co-host Alanna Rizzo further confirmed his prediction.

Instead of treating the idea as fan fiction, Pierzynski broke down why it’s unrealistic. Moving Ohtani to the bullpen, he argued, isn’t as simple as handing him the ball. It would require practice, warmups, and a risk of injury the Dodgers can’t afford. He said, “They can’t afford Shohei in a big situation if they bring him out of the bullpen unless he goes to the outfield, and you’re going to have to practice in the outfield. And he hasn’t done it. And he hasn’t pitched out of the bullpen… He can’t just practice and be the closer.”

When Rizzo pointed out that rookie right-hander Trey Savage has also never pitched in the postseason, Pierzynski drew a sharp distinction: Savage is healthy and could be used cautiously as a bulk reliever “to piggyback somebody,” while Ohtani has “two zippers on his arm. Where they go zzzzzzzz.” and can’t be pushed into three straight days of work like a closer might be.

For a team with World Series ambitions, Pierzynski’s warning is clear: the Dodgers may need to resist the temptation to turn October into a player pageant. The safer bet, he argues, is to keep Ohtani exactly where he’s been all season and trust the pitching staff they’ve built around him. The Dodgers have the depth to win without risking their top-paid superstar’s health, and Pierzynski believes that patience now could mean a longer championship window later. And the Dodgers’ manager has a similar viewpoint about the issue.

Outfield idea meets pushback from Dodgers manager

Shohei Ohtani made headlines today when he told Japanese media, “As a player, if I’m told to go somewhere, I want to be prepared to do so. That’s on the mound and perhaps even in the outfield.” It was the clearest sign yet that the Dodgers’ two-way superstar is willing to get creative in October, even if it means roaming between at-bats to keep his bat in the lineup after pitching. On paper, it sounds like the ultimate weapon, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts isn’t buying it just yet.

When asked if Shohei Ohtani playing the outfield is truly on the table, Roberts didn’t hesitate. “No,” he told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, shutting down the speculation with one word. Roberts explained that Ohtani’s comeback from surgery has been handled with extreme caution all season. They restricted him to 13 starts and strategically scheduled his outings. Now signing him into a completely new role involves unnecessary risk. The manager pointed out that pitching out of the bullpen demands a very different flow, one that conflicts with Ohtani’s methodical, routine-focused approach.

The logistical hurdles are real, too. Ohtani has just 8 1/3 innings of outfield experience in his entire MLB career, all from his Angels days. Roberts pointed out that simply fitting in outfield work would add another layer to an already packed schedule of hitting and pitching prep. “You potentially could be taking on risk, and we’ve come this far, certainly with the kid gloves and managing him,” Roberts said on Wednesday. The message was clear: as tempting as the idea might be for fans, the Dodgers don’t want to jeopardize their most valuable player right before October.