While nothing has been one hundred percent decided, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts used the word “probably” when talking about whether Shohei Ohtani will get the ball for Game 3 of their NL Wildcard Series against the Cincinnati Reds.
According to Roberts, if the Dodgers sweep, then Ohtani will “probably” then pitch Game 1 of the National Division Series against the NL East Champions, Philadelphia Phillies.
Ohtani, who underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2023 and didn’t pitch at all in 2024, found himself back this past June 16th on the mound where he threw an inning against the San Diego Padres.
In total, Ohtani pitched 14 games for the Dodgers this past year logging 47 innings and going 1-1 with a respectable 2.87 ERA along with racking up 62 strikeouts.
What should make Dodgers fans extremely confident is that on September 23rd, which was Ohtani’s last outing, where he made a loud statement by throwing six shutout innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks which included eight strikeouts.
Dodgers Announce Ohtani Might Get the NL Wild Card Game 3 Start vs. Reds
Ohtani Becomes First Major Leaguer to Hit 50 Home Runs and Strikeout 50 Batters
Back on September 30th, Ohtani wrote another chapter to his Hall of Fame career when he set another major league record when he pitched five scoreless innings at Dodger Stadium in an eventual 9-6 loss against the Phillies. On this night, in showing a flair for the dramatics, Ohtani would make history by first hitting his 50th home run of the campaign, which along with striking out five batters, gave him 54 on the year which made him the first player to ever achieve 50 home runs and 50 strikeouts in a single season.
Showing just how special Ohtani is, he has also become the first Dodger player in franchise history to hit 50 or more home runs in consecutive seasons.
Ohtani Breaks His Own Dodgers Franchise Record for Home Runs in a Season
Ohtani showed a definite flair for the dramatics as he made some Dodger history during Game 162.
The reigning NL MVP, who just finished his second season with the Dodgers, gave fans at T-Mobile Park a front row seat for history when, during the seventh inning of play, Ohtani, on an 0-2 count, broke his own Dodgers franchise record with his 55th home run of the season, which came during a regular season ending 6-1 win against the Seattle Mariners.
Ohtani officially broke his own record when he smashed a 412-foot home run to center field off of Mariners relief pitcher Gabe Spier’s fastball which at the time gave Los Angeles a commanding 5-0 seventh inning lead.
Besides breaking his own Dodgers record for home runs in a season, Ohtani also put his name in the MLB record books by hitting a combined 109 home runs in his first two seasons in Los Angeles, which puts him in a second-place tie with infielder Alex Rodriguez for most home runs hit in their first two years with a new team. Rodriguez achieved 109 long balls during the 2001 and 2002 seasons with the Texas Rangers.
Before Ohtani became a Dodger, outfielder Shawn Green held the franchise home run record when, back in 2001, he slugged three home runs in the final 18 games to put his name in the team’s record books with a 49-home run season.
“I think Ohtani is the greatest baseball player who ever lived,” Green said last year when Ohtani broke his record. “If he retired today, he’d be the greatest baseball player, and so for me, it’s been definitely an honour to hold the most home runs in a season by a Dodger.”
Without question baseball fans from around the globe are extremely fortunate to watch perhaps the best player ever in Ohtani year after year doing amazing things on the diamond.
Main Image: Rob Schumacher / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
