Shohei Ohtani
Dodgers Fully Expect Shohei Ohtani to Pitch in 2027 After Ruling Out Offseason Surgery

KEY POINTS

**Dodgers Fully Expect Shohei Ohtani to Pitch in 2027 After Ruling Out Offseason Surgery**

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday that Shohei Ohtani will not need surgery this offseason and that the organization fully expects the two-way star to pitch in 2027.

Friedman spoke at the team's end-of-season news conference at Dodger Stadium, five days after the Dodgers were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series. Ohtani, who last pitched on July 3, had dealt with left knee and right biceps issues that also limited his production at the plate in the second half and postseason.

"That's not on the table," Friedman said when asked about surgery. He added that Ohtani had been assessed by doctors and that rest was the prescribed course. "I fully expect him to pitch next year. I not only expect him to pitch, we're excited about him pitching."

Ohtani had already indicated his intention to return to the mound. After the Dodgers' season-ending 6-4 loss in Game 4 of the NLCS on Oct. 16, he was asked if he planned to pitch in 2027. "Yes, definitely," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. "And looking forward to having a better season next year."

At that time, Ohtani was less definitive about any potential procedure. "Hard to tell at this point," he said. "It's something that's going to be analyzed, discussed over the offseason, and see if that's a viable thing to do."

Friedman said the expectation is that Ohtani will be ready for the start of spring training. The precise form of his 2027 pitching workload remains under discussion. "This is unprecedented, what he's doing," Friedman said. "So obviously for us it's unprecedented. We don't have any experience to draw from. We can't go look at how other situations have played out to try to learn from the good and the bad. We have to all just figure it out together."

He continued: "Now it's about: How do we do that? How do we manage through a long season and have him at his best going into October? That's a challenge."

In 14 starts before being shut down, Ohtani went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts over 85⅔ innings. He limited opposing hitters to a .179 average. His final start came on July 3 after left knee pain had begun on June 11. Over his last four starts, he allowed 12 earned runs in 24⅔ innings.

The same issues affected his hitting. Ohtani finished the regular season with 30 home runs, 81 RBIs and an .889 OPS, but he struggled late. In the postseason he hit 5-for-26 with one home run and three RBIs. He ended a 25-game home-run drought with a three-run homer in the final game of the NLCS.

Friedman described the injuries as a series of related issues rather than a single problem. "He had a lot of different stuff going on," he said. "Knee was bothering him off and on, and it was a little bit of an unfortunate game of whack-a-mole. The knee got to a better spot, and then the bicep area was bothering him. Just a number of different things, some that would calm down for some period, some that would get re-irritated."

The Dodgers have not determined whether Ohtani will open the 2027 season in the rotation or begin as a hitter and work his way into pitching. One possibility under consideration is delaying his return to the mound even if he is healthy enough to pitch earlier, in order to preserve him for a potential postseason. The club uses a six-man rotation and has other starters including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki.

"We haven't gotten into details yet," Friedman said, "but I expect us to throw our heads together and figure out both in the batter's box, on the mound, just how we marry all that together to have him impact us as much as he can during the regular season and then also be in a really good spot going into October."

Ohtani, who turned 32 in July, has repeatedly expressed the desire to continue as a two-way player. After the NLCS he said he was "not quite satisfied with how things shaped up on the pitching side" in 2026 because he did not pitch in the second half or postseason. "I haven't been able to really come to grips in terms of what I've learned overall this season," he said. "It's something that I'm going to kind of go back to the drawing board in terms of treatment, training program, and see what I can come up with for next season."

The Dodgers' season ended short of a third consecutive World Series appearance after the sweep by Milwaukee. Manager Dave Roberts had restored Ohtani to the leadoff spot for the final game, where he homered. Roberts has previously called Ohtani the best player on the planet while acknowledging he was not at full health late in the year.

Friedman said the priority for 2027 is having Ohtani available and effective as both a hitter and pitcher in October. How the club manages his workload through a full regular season to achieve that remains an open question that will be addressed over the winter. No specific innings limit or start schedule has been outlined.

Ohtani's 2026 pitching performance before the injuries ranked among the best in the league. He completed at least six innings in 13 of his 14 starts. The combination of his results on the mound and his continued offensive production made him a leading MVP candidate through much of the first half before the physical issues mounted.

With surgery ruled out and both Ohtani and the organization stating the expectation that he will pitch in 2027, the focus shifts to the practical details of his preparation and usage. Friedman said the club is excited about the prospect and will work with Ohtani and the medical and coaching staffs to determine the approach that best balances regular-season impact with postseason readiness.

The Dodgers are expected to open spring training in February. Ohtani's status as a full two-way participant from the outset of the regular season has not been finalized. The organization has emphasized that decisions will be based on how he responds to rest and training this winter.

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday that Shohei Ohtani will not need surgery this offseason and that the organization fully expects the two-way star to pitch in 2027.

Friedman spoke at the team's end-of-season news conference at Dodger Stadium, five days after the Dodgers were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series. Ohtani, who last pitched on July 3, had dealt with left knee and right biceps issues that also limited his production at the plate in the second half and postseason.

"That's not on the table," Friedman said when asked about surgery. He added that Ohtani had been assessed by doctors and that rest was the prescribed course. "I fully expect him to pitch next year. I not only expect him to pitch, we're excited about him pitching."

Ohtani had already indicated his intention to return to the mound. After the Dodgers' season-ending 6-4 loss in Game 4 of the NLCS on Oct. 16, he was asked if he planned to pitch in 2027. "Yes, definitely," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. "And looking forward to having a better season next year."

At that time, Ohtani was less definitive about any potential procedure. "Hard to tell at this point," he said. "It's something that's going to be analyzed, discussed over the offseason, and see if that's a viable thing to do."

Friedman said the expectation is that Ohtani will be ready for the start of spring training. The precise form of his 2027 pitching workload remains under discussion. "This is unprecedented, what he's doing," Friedman said. "So obviously for us it's unprecedented. We don't have any experience to draw from. We can't go look at how other situations have played out to try to learn from the good and the bad. We have to all just figure it out together."

He continued: "Now it's about: How do we do that? How do we manage through a long season and have him at his best going into October? That's a challenge."

In 14 starts before being shut down, Ohtani went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts over 85⅔ innings. He limited opposing hitters to a .179 average. His final start came on July 3 after left knee pain had begun on June 11. Over his last four starts, he allowed 12 earned runs in 24⅔ innings.

The same issues affected his hitting. Ohtani finished the regular season with 30 home runs, 81 RBIs and an .889 OPS, but he struggled late. In the postseason he hit 5-for-26 with one home run and three RBIs. He ended a 25-game home-run drought with a three-run homer in the final game of the NLCS.

Friedman described the injuries as a series of related issues rather than a single problem. "He had a lot of different stuff going on," he said. "Knee was bothering him off and on, and it was a little bit of an unfortunate game of whack-a-mole. The knee got to a better spot, and then the bicep area was bothering him. Just a number of different things, some that would calm down for some period, some that would get re-irritated."

The Dodgers have not determined whether Ohtani will open the 2027 season in the rotation or begin as a hitter and work his way into pitching. One possibility under consideration is delaying his return to the mound even if he is healthy enough to pitch earlier, in order to preserve him for a potential postseason. The club uses a six-man rotation and has other starters including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki.

"We haven't gotten into details yet," Friedman said, "but I expect us to throw our heads together and figure out both in the batter's box, on the mound, just how we marry all that together to have him impact us as much as he can during the regular season and then also be in a really good spot going into October."

Ohtani, who turned 32 in July, has repeatedly expressed the desire to continue as a two-way player. After the NLCS he said he was "not quite satisfied with how things shaped up on the pitching side" in 2026 because he did not pitch in the second half or postseason. "I haven't been able to really come to grips in terms of what I've learned overall this season," he said. "It's something that I'm going to kind of go back to the drawing board in terms of treatment, training program, and see what I can come up with for next season."

The Dodgers' season ended short of a third consecutive World Series appearance after the sweep by Milwaukee. Manager Dave Roberts had restored Ohtani to the leadoff spot for the final game, where he homered. Roberts has previously called Ohtani the best player on the planet while acknowledging he was not at full health late in the year.

Friedman said the priority for 2027 is having Ohtani available and effective as both a hitter and pitcher in October. How the club manages his workload through a full regular season to achieve that remains an open question that will be addressed over the winter. No specific innings limit or start schedule has been outlined.

Ohtani's 2026 pitching performance before the injuries ranked among the best in the league. He completed at least six innings in 13 of his 14 starts. The combination of his results on the mound and his continued offensive production made him a leading MVP candidate through much of the first half before the physical issues mounted.

With surgery ruled out and both Ohtani and the organization stating the expectation that he will pitch in 2027, the focus shifts to the practical details of his preparation and usage. Friedman said the club is excited about the prospect and will work with Ohtani and the medical and coaching staffs to determine the approach that best balances regular-season impact with postseason readiness.

The Dodgers are expected to open spring training in February. Ohtani's status as a full two-way participant from the outset of the regular season has not been finalized. The organization has emphasized that decisions will be based on how he responds to rest and training this winter.