Sep 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) smiles as he pitches to former teammate Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh (16) during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is willing to make a significant change for his team as they look to defend their World Series win this fall.

Ohtani threw five no-hit innings against the Phillies on Tuesday night, allowing just one walk while recording five strikeouts and zero runs. He also recorded two hits, including one home run, in the process.

He became the first MLB player to record 50 home runs and 50 strikeouts and the first player with back-to-back seasons with 50 home runs since Alex Rodriguez in 2002. While his team was up 4-0 when he came out of the game, they surrendered six runs in the sixth innings. They lost to the Phillies, 9-6, despite the efforts from Ohtani.

Relief pitching has plagued Los Angeles all season, and Ohtani has offered a potential solution: He could play outfield and come out of the bullpen.

Here is more from Doug McCain:

"I’ve been having various conversations with different people, and that topic has come up as well. That applies to the mound, and possibly even the outfield. If I end up going as a reliever, then depending on what follows, there could be situations where I also need to play defense in the outfield. So no matter what situation arises, I want to make sure I’m prepared to handle it."

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that it wasn't impossible but noted that Ohtani hasn't done any outfield preparation work this season.

Pitching coach Mark Prior said he could absolutely see Ohtani serving as a reliever.

Los Angeles executive Andrew Friedman said the expectation is that Ohtani will serve as a starter but that anything can happen in October.

Why would Shohei Ohtani play outfield?

The simple answer is that if the Dodgers decide Ohtani is more valuable as a relief pitcher than as a starting pitcher due to their current lack of arms in the bullpen, it would potentially take away some of his opportunities as a hitter.

Here is how Dylan Hernandéz explained (via Los Angeles Times):

"Under baseball’s current rules, if Ohtani starts a game as a pitcher and is replaced on the mound, he could continue playing as a designated hitter. However, if he starts the game as a DH and pitches out of the bullpen, the Dodgers would lose the DH once his relief appearance is over.

Playing in the outfield would allow the Dodgers to use Ohtani as a reliever and keep his bat in their lineup after."

Basically, the idea is that he would only serve in the bullpen if he also played in the field instead of as a designated hitter due to the MLB's complicated two-way rules.

This decision would effectively minimize the number of innings needed by relievers for the Dodgers and decrease the need for a pinch hitter to replace Ohtani.

Has Shohei Ohtani played outfield before?

Ohtani has played outfield before both in the MLB and Japan, where he has shown a rocket of an arm as a fielder.

Has Shohei Ohtani played reliever before?

The 2024 National League MVP has never played in the MLB as a relief pitcher but did serve in that role for Japan during the World Baseball Classic in 2023.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why Shohei Ohtani might change positions during Dodgers postseason

Reporting by Bryan Kalbrosky, For The Win / For The Win

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