Shohei Ohtani should never throw another competitive pitch in 2026. Period.
The Los Angeles Dodgers spent hundreds of millions of dollars building a powerhouse, but October rings do not care about regular-season novelties. If you watched Ohtani battle knee and biceps trouble, plus nagging neck soreness that forced him out of lineups down the stretch, you know the truth. Trying to squeeze a few more innings out of his right arm is a massive gamble that makes zero sense.
Let's look at the actual math. Before getting shut down from the mound, Ohtani posted an impressive 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts across 85 2/3 innings. Those numbers prove he is still an elite arm when healthy. But baseball isn't played on a spreadsheet. When the physical toll starts disrupting his swing—dropping his offensive production into a cold slump where he hit a meager .122 over a stretch of 13 games—the priority must shift.
The Cost of Dual Threats
We all love the myth of the modern Babe Ruth. Watching a guy throw triple-digit fastballs and then launch towering home runs into the pavilion feels like watching a video game on easy mode. Yet, human joints have limits. Ohtani already navigated major arm surgery, and forcing his body to maintain the brutal recovery regimen of a starting pitcher while carrying the everyday burden of the designated hitter role is unsustainable.
When Ohtani admitted that he was "most likely" done pitching for the season and would focus on hitting moving forward, he wasn't quitting. He was being realistic. His primary value to the Dodgers right now is as an offensive catalyst. They need his bat in the heart of the order, driving runs and striking fear into opposing bullpens during a grueling postseason push.
Why the Dodgers Don't Need His Arm
Let's be honest about the rest of the roster. The Dodgers are built to win world championships with or without Ohtani toeing the rubber in October. Their rotation boasts heavy-hitting aces like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow. That group can match up with any lineup in baseball.
Sacrificing Ohtani's health for a few extra regular-season starts or a risky playoff relief appearance is bad risk management. If pushing him on the mound risks a worse-case scenario where he can't play at all, the front office has failed its basic job.
Moving Forward
The path ahead is clear. Shut him down from pitching completely for the rest of the year. Let him heal his physical ailments, find his rhythm at the plate, and prepare to punish October pitching with his bat alone.
Stop romanticizing the two-way workload when the stakes are this high. Protect the asset, win the pennant, and let the pitching staff handle the heavy lifting.
