Dave Roberts teases Dodgers fans about Shohei Ohtani pitching in postseason

We don't like being in a position where an apology to Bill Plaschke is necessary, but unfortunately, that is where we find ourselves now. Last week, Plaschke wrote that the Dodgers could and should put Shohei Ohtani on the mound in the postseason, given LA's immense losses in terms of starting pitching. Plaschke didn't suggest that Ohtani should start a game, but rather come in for a late-inning, high-leverage relief appearance à la his ninth inning 2023 World Baseball Classic outing against Team USA.

When Plaschke published that take, Dave Roberts and the Dodgers had spent the entire season pumping the brakes on fans' hopes that Ohtani would make a return to pitching this season. It didn't seem like a good idea anyway; the bullpen hasn't been the Dodgers' problem as of late, so why take a chance on a rehabbing pitcher who they need to keep healthy for the lineup?

Just the day after Plaschke made his argument, Alden González reported that Roberts walked back his initial stance, saying there was a "non-zero chance" that Ohtani would be available to pitch in October.

Well. Half-hearted apologies to Bill Plaschke, then.

Dave Roberts said there's a "non-zero chance" Shohei Ohtani makes his return to the mound in October for Dodgers

It still wouldn't really behoove the Dodgers to speed up Ohtani's pitching return, but such is the state of Dodgers pitching at the moment. González said there were caveats: if it happens at all (and the possibility is still very distant), it wouldn't be until the NLCS. However, he was definitely making it sound like Ohtani would factor in as a starter, not a reliever. González referred to the battered state of the rotation at the moment; Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw's chances of returning this season look very, very slim.

So the door is open. It's usually not hard to bet on Shohei Ohtani, but beyond the optics of him making a triumphant return to two-way player status in the most important portion of the year, there's a lot to consider. Ohtani hasn't faced hitters yet, and a rehab assignment is out of the question with the Triple-A season over. We don't have any indication of where his velocity and control are at more than a year since his elbow surgery.

The Dodgers can't afford a Mookie Betts at shortstop situation here, which is to say that they can't push one of their stars to do something that could very well be a bad thing for the team in the long run, just by virtue of the fact that he's a star.

Maybe we're a little too fatalistic about this, and maybe if Ohtani does return, he'll pitch a quality start in a postseason game fresh off a rehab and we'll have to eat our words again. Maybe he'll be an exceptional opener. But the odds are against him, and the Dodgers can't afford to make anything worse by pushing Ohtani before he's ready.