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Shohei Ohtani to Make Change After Dodgers' World Series Game 4 Loss
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- Shohei Ohtani to Make Change After Dodgers' World Series Game 4 Loss
The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped Game 4 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday. After a historic win in extra innings on Monday, the Dodgers came up short, losing 6–2.
The losing pitcher for Los Angeles was two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani , who tossed six strong innings and gave up just a two-run home run by Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before allowing the first two batters to reach in the seventh inning. Both runners scored after he was relieved, bringing his final line to six innings pitched, four earned runs, one walk and six strikeouts.
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Despite the defeat on the mound, Ohtani has impressed at the plate in the postseason with a .268 batting average, .414 on-base percentage, 1.182 OPS and eight home runs in 14 games.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani.© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
As Ohtani looks to continue contributing offensively for Game 5 on Wednesday, the Dodgers star made a big decision regarding his status as a pitcher for the remainder of the World Series. Ohtani announced that he would begin preparing to operate out of the bullpen for the rest of the Fall Classic.
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"Ohtani said he would prepare to be available to pitch in relief in the remaining games of the series," reported Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
Ohtani likely will not be available for Game 5 given that he threw 93 pitches on Tuesday, yet once the series pivots back to Toronto he may be able to appear in relief.
If Ohtani does make an appearance out of the bullpen, he would be forced to play the field once his outing is finished because MLB rules would not allow him to return to designated hitter. If that is the case, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts would have to either remove Ohtani's bat from the lineup or move him to another position on the field.
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Ohtani has never come out of the bullpen throughout his eight-year career in MLB. Despite the loss on Tuesday, Ohtani has been very effective on the mound in the postseason. The 31-year-old flamethrower has a 3.50 ERA through three starts, logging 18 innings and striking out 25 batters.
Related: Dodgers Share Mookie Betts Award News Before World Series Game 3
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
