Ohtani aims to pitch again in 2027

Los Angeles Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani celebrates his home run Thursday, his lone extra base hit of the playoffs. (Mark J. Terrill / The Associated Press)

LOS ANGELES — As Shohei Ohtani stood in front of his locker and answered questions following the Dodgers' season-ending loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night, there was one thing about which he was not vague or evasive.

He intends to pitch next season and return to being a two-way player.

"Yes, definitely," he said through his interpreter. "And (I am) looking forward to having a better season next year."

Ohtani was having a very good year as a pitcher through the first three months of the season. Through 14 starts and 85 2/3 innings, Ohtani was 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts.

But he did not throw a pitch after July 3 due to injuries to his left knee and right arm.

There has been little transparency about what injuries Ohtani was dealing with. The team announced he received a lubricant injection in his left knee at the all-star break. But it was Ohtani who revealed he was feeling pain in his right biceps during the season.

At 32 and now with a litany of significant health issues — he has had surgery on his left knee, left shoulder and right elbow twice — the toll of two-way play over the course of the season might not be realistic for Ohtani much longer.

The injuries he dealt with in 2026 not only curtailed his pitching at mid-season, they also impacted his offensive production.

— The Orange County Register