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Dodgers' latest Shohei Ohtani health update affirms he'll return to two-way status

Dodgers honcho Andrew Friedman revealed a telling update about Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday.
ByPat Ragazzo
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Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out during the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out during the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Injuries derailed Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani's 2026 season. So much so that he stopped pitching in early July and hit only one home run after August 18. Ohtani finished the year with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts as a pitcher and a .275/.377/.512 slash line, .889 OPS, 30 homers and 81 RBI with just 11 stolen bases in 139 games as a hitter. This was Ohtani's worst offensive campaign since 2022 with the Los Angeles Angels.

Although Ohtani hit a three-run homer in Game 4 of the NLCS, the Dodgers were ultimately swept by the Milwaukee Brewers, missing out on winning their third consecutive World Series title. Ohtani struggled mightily at the plate in October, hitting .192 with a .631 OPS in eight games. Ohtani dealt with biceps and knee injuries, which hampered him in the final months of the regular season and playoffs.

Dodgers' Andrew Friedman shares update on Shohei Ohtani

With the Dodgers now eliminated, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman spoke to the media on Wednesday for the team's end-of-season press conference. During this press conference, Friedman revealed that surgery "is not on the table" for Ohtani this offseason.

He also shared another very telling update on Ohtani: Friedman expects Ohtani to return to being a two-way player next season.

There has been much debate as to whether Ohtani should quit pitching and only hit moving forward. But that's clearly not in the Dodgers' future plans, as they expect their star to re-enter their starting rotation next year. That being said, Friedman stated that Ohtani and the team would have to "put our heads together" to figure out his usage plan in 2027 and beyond next season.

When healthy, Ohtani looked like a Cy Young candidate this past season. There was much hype surrounding Ohtani's candidacy for the award early on in the year. However, injuries wiped out his chances after he was shut down from pitching in the beginning of July.

If Ohtani rejoins the Dodgers' rotation next season, he will pitch alongside Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Justin Wrobleski. The Dodgers are also hoping to re-sign Tarik Skubal, who will likely receive the largest contract for a starting pitcher in MLB history in free agency this offseason.

While it's certainly good news that Friedman and the Dodgers expect Ohtani to return to pitching next year, Los Angeles must make sure that their depth is fully loaded to minimize injury risk. And if Ohtani still doesn't look healthy, the team should make the decision to only use him as a hitter, given his bat is the most valuable aspect of his game.

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