Two straight losses to the Philadelphia Phillies have left the Los Angeles Dodgers clinging to a two-game lead in the NL West. Tuesday night's 9-6 loss stung a bit more. Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani threw five scoreless innings and hit his 50th home run of the season, yet it still wasn't enough. Post-game, Ohtani teased a potential return to the outfield once the postseason rolls around, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan.
“Might we see Shohei Ohtani in the outfield this October?” queried Harrigan on Wednesday. “Ohtani floated that possibility to members of the Japanese media after the Dodgers’ 9-6 loss to the Phillies on Tuesday, during which the two-way superstar tossed five innings of no-hit ball and also hit his 50th homer of the season. Los Angeles gave up nine runs in relief of Ohtani, continuing what has been a rough stretch for the club’s bullpen.”
Ohtani has played a few games in the outfield in the past. The Japanese star also discussed potentially pitching in relief, since the Dodgers' bullpen is currently going through a rough patch. The relief corps gave up nine runs in relief of Ohtani Tuesday night, yet another blown opportunity at victory. To win in October, Los Angeles needs to be firing on all cylinders. Would Ohtani's arm make a difference in the outfield or the pen once the postseason rolls around?
Dodgers need all hands on deck in tight NL West title race
With the Padres hot on their heels, the Dodgers need to sort out their issues fast. This past winter, the front office focused on adding arms to the pen. That included former All-Star relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates. However, the attempted retooling of the bullpen hasn't worked out quite as well as the team would have hoped.
Ohtani already plays both ways. He's one of, if not the best, players in the MLB. A three-time MVP, there's a pretty good chance he wins number four this season. After all, he's created an exclusive club all on his own: the reigning MVP became the first player in history to hit 50 home runs and strikeout 50 batters in a season. The two-way stud is already doing his best impression of Superman. Can he do even more to help the Dodgers lock in another AL West title?
