Clayton Kershaw is Hall of Fame bound the moment he becomes eligible to receive the prestigious accolade; you can write that in sharpie. The Los Angeles Dodgers franchise cornerstone is undeniably in the conversation for the greatest pitcher of all time. His name will deservedly be etched in the annals of baseball history when the time comes.
However, almost every October, Kershaw reminds us of the one stain on his illustrious résumé that will follow him to Cooperstown: infamous playoff struggles. The southpaw's regular-season and postseason splits tell two wildly different stories. In years past, the Dodgers haven't had a viable solution to the problem and were forced to bite the bulle, though now they do. Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani returning to the mound for the first time in nearly two years gives L.A. an ace in the hole.
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Shohei Ohtani gives Dodgers bulk reliever pivot to overcome Clayton Kershaw's postseason struggles
As Dodgers fans know Ohtani's slowly working his way back from a second Tommy John procedure he underwent in September 2023. The Dodgers are gradually ramping him up, and he was recently able to pitch into the fifth inning, which is a notable development. Manager Dave Roberts said the team won't push the Japanese superstar further in any of his remaining starts this regular season. Nevertheless, that's more than enough to serve a valuable emergency long relief role should Kershaw's high-stakes implosions continue.
Sticking with Kershaw too long has often been the root of the issue for Roberts and Los Angeles. Why not piggyback with Ohtani in a Game 4 when push comes to shove? That seems to at least be in consideration as things stand, if recent comments from Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior are any indication.
"It's been discussed," Prior said regarding whether we could see Ohtani come out of the bullpen come playoff time (h/t the Dan Patrick Show). Turning to the presumed four-time MVP as to extinguish Kershaw's flames is "absolutely" within the range of outcomes. Depending on the eligibility rules and risks that come with the decision, because the Dodgers also need his bat, nothing is ostensibly off the table.
Ohtani's 0-0 with a 3.47 ERA, 1.114 WHIP and 32 strikeouts across 23.1 innings of work thus far in 2025. He hasn't regained the Cy Young candidate form we've seen him compliment with elite production at the plate. Yet, you can see his swing-and-miss stuff and comfort improving with each outing, and the timing couldn't be much better.