Shohei Ohtani could potentially play in outfield for playoffs

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

What can Shohei Ohtani not do? 

From throwing 100 mph on the mound and hitting baseballs to the 110 freeway out of Dodger Stadium, the spectacle Ohtani displays night in and night out on the field is truly magical, but as Los Angeles heads into October with an all-hands-on-deck attitude, the two-way superstar is willing to man another position if need be.

The main source of concern for the Dodgers heading into the postseason is their troubled bullpen, with arms such as Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen not shutting down the big moments they were signed to do, but this is where Ohtani can insert himself into an even bigger role, as he can pitch in relief and play parts of the outfield.  

"I’ve been having various conversations with different people, and that topic has come up as well," Ohtani told the media after the Dodgers' loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night. "That applies to the mound, and possibly even the outfield. If I end up going as a reliever, then depending on what follows, there could be situations where I also need to play defense in the outfield. So no matter what situation arises, I want to make sure I’m prepared to handle it."

For some, this solution of using Ohtani in the outfield may seem like it's coming out of nowhere and completely rash, but the 31-year-old is more than familiar with manning the outfield, as he's covered the outfield grass in both Japan and the MLB. 

So why would the Dodgers do this? Well, it's simple: If the Dodgers feel that they could get the most out of Ohtani in the relief role rather than being a starter, then so be it, but he would lose crucial ABs in the process, so to combat that, he would have to play a defensive position, which would limit the issue of using a pinch-hitter for Ohtani. 

The two-way player rules perplex even the most die-hard baseball fans, but overall, if the Dodgers want to use Ohtani as a reliever, a situation that he has not been in since clinching the World Baseball Classic for Team Japan back in 2023, he would need to play a defensive position in order to still play crucial innings come October.