Los Angeles Dodgers will have their opening game on March 18 and 19 in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs.
A month away from the MLBOpening Day, there are still some questions in the air and for the reigning champions, the issue of Shohei Ohtani keeps the debates on the table. Do you use the player as a designated hitter or do you include him in the starting pitching rotation?
The Japanese player has been a spectacle since his arrival in Major League Baseball. As he prepares to take the mound for the first time since August 2023, the Los Angeles Dodgers are questioning how they will handle his return as a pitcher to protect one of their most prized players and maintain his brilliance in both positions.
On the show Foul Territory, host Scott Braun pointed out that the Angels do not have a clear guide on how to handle a player like Shohei Ohtani, who has been characterized as a talent that will change future generations, meaning he hits and pitches at an elite level. The Los Angeles Dodgers were careful while Ohtani was in rehab, but now that he is fit, how are they going to solve it?
AJ Pierzynski highlighted that the team will not be careful and there will be no control. The player himself will dictate his workload where they will look for the Japanese player to seek to win the Cy Young and MVP as a designated hitter, an award he won last year. It is a very strong bet, but if he succeeds, it will be a feat in the history of professional baseball worldwide.
The Los Angeles Dodgers will watch his pitches and his at-bats inning by inning. The Japanese player is a multi-million dollar asset that you cannot risk for certain whims.
FIRST LOOK: Shohei Ohtani is back on the mound throwing his first bullpen of Spring Training. pic.twitter.com/E06ND3O5SJ
— MLB (@MLB) February 15, 2025
The alternative solution (and the most sensible one) is to use him as a pitcher in certain games and as a batter in others. It will not be possible to combine both activities if you want to keep him healthy for many years. Although he is a great athlete, he is also a human being and over time his body will show natural wear and tear.
The Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation
This team has formed elite pitchers, but as the 2025 season approaches, its pitching rotation is something completely different, lately they have been dominant.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitching staff includes depth and talent among young and veteran players. They have a rotation like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Bobby Miller, Landon Knack and it is likely that in the summer they will be joined by the left arm of Clayton Kershaw.
Each of these pitchers brings something unique to the game. With such an overwhelming rotation, the Dodgers are not only aiming for the postseason, but are building an army with a formidable arsenal capable of ruling MLB for years to come.
When will the Los Angeles Dodgers debut in 2025?
The reigning champions will have their opening game on March 18 and 19 when they face the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome in the Japanese capital.
Throwing heat. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1z2vNpSS3C
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 17, 2025
