Brandon Gomes, general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has put an end to all speculation about Shohei Ohtani’s future as a two-way player.
This season, Ohtani has served exclusively as the Dodgers’ designated hitter. The Japanese superstar is on the mend as a pitcher after undergoing his second major elbow surgery last September.
With Ohtani reportedly making progress in his return to the mound, questions have resurfaced about a possible end to his two-way role.
When Gomes spoke to reporters on Monday, he was asked about the idea that it would be better for Ohtani to shut down his pitchers.
The Dodgers management spoke out strongly against this idea.
“His ability to do both brings exponential value,” Gomes argued of ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez. “So let’s just say the offense takes a little step back — that’s still so valuable that he can do both. Oh, and by the way, if his offense takes a step back, it’s still an MVP-level offense. Yes, he had a fantastic season. But the ability to do both is somehow still completely underrated.”
Despite only calling the shots and never playing defense, Ohtani has proven to be one of the league’s best hitters. The Dodgers DH has a .302 batting average with 34 home runs, 81 RBI and an OPS of 1.008 in 112 games this season.
It’s possible that Ohtani specifically asked to continue his two-way game when he negotiated with teams as a free agent last season.
But regardless of the reasons, the Dodgers are apparently content to let Ohtani take the mound as soon as he is ready.
