Analyst ‘can’t see a world’ where Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani just opens a playoff game

As Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is making a push for another MVP award, he still has yet to return to the mound this season, though he is progressing ahead of the postseason. While Dodgers fans await the pitching return of Ohtani, this former player and analyst would question a certain aspect of the sensation on the mound when the playoffs come around.

Speaking on MLB Network, Mark DeRosa would express that he “can’t see a world” where Ohtani opens a playoff game, citing how the team has Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, and a “rested” bullpen.

“I don’t know how they roll out the first three games of the postseason, but these are the three guys,” DeRosa said. “And I saw Otani is getting ready to come back, and he’s thrown getting he’s thrown some live sims to Will Smith, and they’re going to start building him back up, maybe as early as the first week of September. And [Tyler] Glasnow is scheduled to pitch this week.”

“No, there’s no way. And I can’t see a world where…are you going to start a postseason game with him just opening?” DeRosa continued. “These dudes are nasty, and your bullpen’s rested.”

#MLBCentral on the Dodgers' rotation with the Postseason approaching:

"They're starting to roll it out now… it's starting to take shape." pic.twitter.com/VXTHSjM5ch

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) August 24, 2026

Ohtani hasn’t pitched since early July due to a knee issue, though it hasn’t stopped his offensive production, recording a .288 batting average with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs. When pitching this season in the 14 games he’s started, he had a 1.79 ERA with 95 strikeouts and an 8-2 record.

At any rate, it remains to be seen when Ohtani returns to pitching for Los Angeles, as manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday that he threw 30 pitches and will need another live batting practice, via Fabian Ardaya.

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