The Los Angeles Dodgers will start Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the first two games of the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres, but they have no plans for Shohei Ohtani to make his franchise pitching debut in the series.
The best-of-five matchup with the Padres, who swept the Atlanta Braves in a wild-card series that ended Wednesday, begins Saturday in Los Angeles.
Ohtani, the two-way star in his first season with the Dodgers, has been throwing in his recovery from Tommy John surgery he underwent 12-plus months ago. But the NL MVP front-runner hasn’t faced live hitters and the club still doesn’t expect to have him pitch until 2025.
“I think it’s no different than before,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters Wednesday. “We don’t anticipate him pitching in the postseason.”
The possibility of Ohtani pitching was first floated by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts in mid-September when he said it was an option. Still, Roberts felt it would be difficult for Ohtani to take the mound in October.
Los Angeles had been besieged by injuries this season and 17 pitchers have started at least one game.
Flaherty, who turns 29 on Oct. 15, was acquired from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline and went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 starts with Los Angeles.
Yamamoto missed nearly three months with a shoulder issue in his first season in the majors. The 26-year-old from Japan went 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 starts.
Right-handers Walker Buehler (1-6, 5.38) and Landon Knack (3-5, 3.65) are among the options for Game 3 and a potential Game 4 in the five-game NLDS, according to Gomes.
Among the pitchers the Dodgers have lost for the season are right-handers Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone. Left-hander Clayton Kershaw’s status per pitching at any point in the postseason remains uncertain due to the big toe injury he sustained on Aug. 30.
“It’s extremely frustrating,” Glasnow said last month. “I wanted to come here to win a World Series and pitch in the postseason.”
Also, Roberts believes star first baseman Freddie Freeman (ankle) will be available on Saturday. Shortstop Miguel Rojas (adductor) is expected to play through an injury that will require surgery after the season.
–Field Level Media
