“We just wanted to kind of slow-play it.” The Dodgers’ manager, Dave Roberts’ statement, further fuels the possibility of getting Ohtani as a two-player this time.
Well, the reason is their lack of experience in dealing with a player like Ohtani. “We don’t really have this template or road map or even experience dealing with a guy with a two-way situation,” the Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior said. Yes, it’s rare to have a player excel in both departments.
Shohei Ohtani is a unique proposition for the Dodgers. Thus, the team took a steady approach of pushing him towards pitching. The deep pitching rotation is another reason for not playing Ohtani in a hurry. “This isn’t a situation where we need him to round out five starters, in a traditional sense.”
The Dodgers are equipped enough to skip Ohtani’s pitch
