Dodgers' Dave Roberts Not Ready to Tip His Hand Regarding Wild Card Starters

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) is greeted in the dugout by manager Dave Roberts (30) after pitching against the Houston Astros in the second inning at Dodger Stadium on July 5. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Dodgers haven't announced who will start for them in the best-of-three Wild Card series they're expected to begin next Tuesday. No team has, for that matter.

Actions speak louder than words, though, especially when it comes to Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani started against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday and pitched six shutout innings. His previous start was on a Tuesday as well, and he's pitched no more than once per week since July.

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Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series will be Tuesday. The Dodgers are effectively playing their final four games of the regular season in order to clinch the National League West and host the first two games of the postseason.

Ohtani isn't officially listed as the starter for Game 1, but it's looking good.

“We don’t know yet,” Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group) when asked if Tuesday's start was a sign Ohtani was lined up to start Game 1. “I think it just kind of gives us some options. But the likelihood of him starting a playoff game in that first series are very high.”

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In 14 games this season, Ohtani is 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA. His last two games have been his best.

In the Dodgers' Sept. 16 home game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Ohtani threw 68 pitches across five scoreless innings and did not allow a hit.

Tuesday in Phoenix, Roberts allowed Ohtani to throw more innings (six) and pitches (91) than he has since August 2023, just before he underwent the season-ending elbow procedure that kept him off a mound until June.

Now that Ohtani is healthy and effective, it makes sense to stretch him out while keeping him on a familiar schedule. As the postseason approaches, the Dodgers are doing exactly that.

For what it's worth, left-hander Blake Snell started Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks — seven days in advance of Game 2 of the Wild Card series. Snell, 5-4 with a 2.35 ERA this season, would offer a different look from Ohtani, and might be the most sensible choice to follow the right-hander.

"I'm sure there's a strategic thought between which game I'm going to start, so I don't want to really talk about that," Ohtani said through his interpreter, Will Ireton, after Tuesday's game. "But I'm always happy to just be able to start in any game that the team wishes me to pitch in."

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