Shohei Ohtani's offseason surgery uncertainty emphasizes how badly Dodgers botched his situation

The Los Angeles Dodgers were right about one thing: Shohei Ohtani had one good postseason swing in him. He used in Game 4 of the NLCS with two runners on to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead over the Milwaukee Brewers.

If the Dodgers had actually won that game, it might have validated Dave Roberts' bullish decision. Roberts would've said, "See? This is why we don't bench Shohei Ohtani."

But he struck out in his other three at-bats — twice swinging, once looking — and all three made him look foolish. The Brewers chipped away at the lead, overcame it, and Ohtani and the rest of the Dodgers' offense had no response.

After the game, Ohtani was quick to clear up any lingering doubt that he would pitch again in 2027, but he was also unsure of whether or not he would need surgery to address one or two of the injuries — knee and biceps — that have plagued him since July.

For anyone who watched him swing during the postseason, it was obvious that he's going to need an operation of some kind. That this isn't something that's just going to go away overnight, no matter what the Dodgers tried to tell their fanbase.

Shohei Ohtani plans to pitch in 2027, but Dodgers didn't rule out offseason surgeries

Both the Dodgers and Ohtani are going to have to atone for their decision-making for a while — maybe even until he proves he's capable of a fully healthy season as a two-way player ... which may never happen.

The only season Ohtani even came close to doing both was 2022, when he pitched a career-high 166 innings and appeared in 157 games as a hitter. Though he hit 34 homers with 95 RBI, that was a down year for him at the plate.

He's in his early 30s now, right around when we start to see some wear-and-tear taking its toll on players. The Dodgers exposed him as mortal to fans this postseason, but the dissonance will continue if they keep approaching his situation as though he isn't.

Maybe Ohtani will undergo a surgery or two and be able to come back even better in 2027, but the Dodgers can't count on that. All sides need to take some accountability for the way things shook out this year and communication needs to improve if LA has any hope of reestablishing themselves as the team to beat.

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