MLB Playoffs 2025: Could Shohei Ohtani’s Secret Weapon Role as Reliever Decide Dodgers’ NLCS Game 7 Fate?

As the Los Angeles Dodgers gear up for Game 2 of the 2025 National League Championship Series this Tuesday, they’re already crafting a savvy blueprint should the series stretch all the way to a decisive Game 7. Manager Dave Roberts didn’t hold back in sharing his strategy Tuesday with the media: Tyler Glasnow is penciled in to start Game 3, while Shohei Ohtani, whose postseason pitching experience so far is limited to Game 1 of the NLDS, is slated for Game 4. The intriguing twist here? There’s a real chance that Ohtani could make a high-stakes appearance out of the bullpen if the Dodgers find themselves in a winner-takes-all showdown.

Roberts pointed out that Ohtani’s been managing his rest well and that the lineup fits neatly with Glasnow getting regular rest before his start. The rotation plan also puts Blake Snell on track for Game 5 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto potentially pitching Game 6. If Ohtani does take the mound for Game 4 on Friday—his first postseason outing at Dodger Stadium—it would come 13 days after his last start, when he tossed a six-inning gem against Philadelphia.

The idea of Ohtani closing out games from the bullpen isn’t entirely without precedent—remember his iconic strikeout of Mike Trout to clinch the World Baseball Classic for Team Japan? But it’s definitely unconventional in the MLB context, especially given the Dodgers’ bullpen struggles where even their reliable arms have teetered on meltdown moments. Game 1 was a prime example: Blake Snell dominated for eight innings but the bullpen nearly let things slip through the cracks.

However, this strategy isn’t without its complications. Deploying Ohtani from the bullpen means he can’t continue as designated hitter afterward—MLB rules dictate he’d have to shift positions or exit the game, which adds a layer of complexity, especially in a pressure-packed Game 7 scenario on the road. This partly explains why the Dodgers have entertained the idea of having Ohtani play the outfield, an area he has some experience with but hasn’t patrolled regularly for years. While Ohtani has expressed readiness for such a move, manager Roberts remains cautiously pragmatic.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers are undoubtedly eager for Ohtani to heat up offensively. Heading into Tuesday, he was batting just 4-for-29 in the postseason—a tough spot given the quality of left-handed pitching he’s faced, notably the Phillies’ starters. But knowing the caliber of this likely NL MVP, it’s only a matter of time before he cuts through that tough pitching like a hot knife through butter.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing Game 2 of the 2025 NLCS on Tuesday, but they’ve already got a plan if the series reaches seven games.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Tuesday that he will have Tyler Glasnow start Game 3, and Shohei Ohtani, whose only postseason start has been Game 1 of the NLDS, will get Game 4. One of the reasons: possibly using Ohtani out of the bullpen in a winner-take-all game.

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“Shohei has been fine with rest. Potentially lines him up if we need a Game 7 out of the pen,” Roberts said. “Game 3, we feel that Tyler is on regular rest, so it kind of lines him up as well. So just kind of all these things just made sense.”

Theoretically, that plan would line up Game 1 starter Blake Snell for Game 5, Game 2 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Game 6 and Glasnow to start Game 7.

A Game 4 start would see Ohtani pitch 13 days after his previous start, a six-inning, three-run, nine-strikeout effort in Philadelphia. That game, scheduled for Friday, would be his postseason pitching debut at Dodger Stadium.

The possibility of Ohtani being used out of the bullpen has been a tantalizing idea for some. The only precedent is when Ohtani closed out the World Baseball Classic for Team Japan, famously striking out then-teammate Mike Trout to finish the game.

The Dodgers would certainly take whatever relief help they can get, given the state of their bullpen, where even their more trusted options are regularly on the verge of blowing the lead. We saw that again in Game 1, in which Blake Snell threw eight nearly perfect innings, then had to watch supposed lockdown reliever Roki Sasaki and confirmed non-lockdown reliever Blake Treinen come within a pitch of yielding a two-run lead.

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The idea, though, also has drawbacks. In addition to the obvious concerns about throwing a pitcher into a role he has never filled in his MLB career — in a Game 7 on the road — Ohtani would have to either find a new position or leave the game after his relief appearance. MLB rules allow him to stay in the game as a designated hitter when he’s the starting pitcher, but not when he comes out of the bullpen.

This is why the idea of Ohtani playing the outfield came up last month. He made 64 total appearances in the outfield corners during his career in Japan and appeared there seven times with the Los Angeles Angels, but it’s unknown if the Dodgers would want him covering that territory when he hasn’t done so in years.

Ohtani said he was “prepared” to do it when asked, though Roberts was a bit less enthusiastic. We’ll just have to wait and see if a scenario comes up in which Ohtani pitches and the game doesn’t end. And we’ll have to get to a Game 7 first.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers will be hoping Ohtani gets going at the plate, as he entered Tuesday 4-for-29 in the postseason. He has faced some dominant left-handed pitching, most notably from the Philadelphia Phillies’ rotation, but at some point, the likely NL MVP is supposed to break through that headwind.