RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani may be poised for a return to the mound.
Ohtani hasn't pitched since July 3 because of persistent knee inflammation. As well, his return to the mound has been complicated by a biceps issue. During that time, however, he has continued to serve as the Dodgers' regular designated hitter at the top of the lineup.
On Sunday, though, manager Dave Roberts provided an encouraging update on Ohtani and his prospects for rejoining the rotation. During the team's upcoming series against the Braves in Atlanta, which begins on Tuesday, Ohtani will throw another bullpen session. At that point, Roberts said, via The Athletic , the club will decide whether Ohtani's next step is to face hitters or return to game action. That's to say, Ohtani's return to the Dodger rotation could come next week.
Insofar as the postseason is concerned, the Dodgers are already operating with Ohtani's pitching role in mind:
Roberts said the Ohtani's buildup will be more aggressive than it was last year. Theoretically could look closer to a regular starting pitcher than an opener in the postseason.
As for this regular season, Ohtani looked like a Cy Young candidate before his knee condition got in the way.
Offensively, though, he is in the midst of putting up another highly productive season.
That's good for an NL-leading OPS+ of 159. Most of the attention is, of course, on the Dodgers' efforts to win the World Series for a third straight season. At the same time, though, Ohtani is angling for a fourth straight MVP award. Right now, he trails Pete Crow-Armstrong in WAR by a count of 7.9 to 6.9. PCA's combination of power, speed on the bases, and best-in-class defense in center field makes him the favorite as September approaches (-170 to win, per FanDuel ). However, some vintage results from Ohtani the pitcher down the stretch could tilt the balance back in his favor.
As for the Dodgers, they maintain a healthy lead in the NL West at 79-51. However, they have designs on catching the Brewers for best overall record and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Getting Ohtani back to two-way duty will surely help that cause.
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