Shohei Ohtani Plans To Pitch Next Year, "Hard To Tell" On Offseason Surgery

Key Points:

• Shohei Ohtani struggled offensively and was sidelined from pitching due to knee and biceps injuries late in the season, with uncertainty about potential offseason surgery as he aims to pitch in 2027.
• Despite limited innings, Ohtani excelled as a pitcher with a 1.79 ERA, strong strikeout and walk rates, and ranked in the top 20% of pitchers by WAR, showcasing his continued dominance when healthy.
• At the plate, Ohtani posted a .275/.377/.512 line with 30 home runs and a 139 wRC+, earning 3.7 fWAR for hitting and 6.6 fWAR combined, remaining a top 10 player despite a late-season slump.
• Ohtani’s postseason performance mirrored his late-season decline, hitting just .192 with 10 strikeouts in 32 plate appearances, impacting the Dodgers’ overall offensive output during their playoff run.
• The Dodgers are closely monitoring Ohtani’s health, balancing his unique two-way role and workload, with plans to avoid surgery interfering with his 2027 readiness, while relying on a strong supporting lineup and rotation depth.