Will Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Play The Field This Season?

Is there anything Shohei Ohtani can’t do?

Well, according to the Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman , Ohtani probably won’t see the field this season despite early reports of him bringing an outfielder’s glove to spring training.

“We haven’t gotten there. I don’t think so,” Friedman said on MLB Now Tuesday morning . “Obviously the right arm is so important, and in October or in late September in a pennant race, I don’t think so. But I wouldn’t rule anything out. Anything we can do to win, he’s going to be all about. That’s not to say he won’t be pushing us but I don’t think we’ll go there.”

Ohtani isn’t pitching this season as he recovers from surgery to repair the UCL in his throwing arm, but he is having a historic season at the plate.

He can potentially become the first full-time DH to win his league’s MVP award. Ohtani’s batting average currently sits at .309, which would be a new career high if the season ended today.

A home run and stolen base in Monday night’s win over the Philadelphia Phillies gave him 34 homers and 32 steals on the season. With 49 games left on the schedule, the likelihood of Ohtani reaching 40 homers and 40 stolen bases is becoming more realistic.

“Shohei, as far as the foot speed and offensively, he’s one of one,” manager Dave Roberts said after the Dodgers beat Oakland 10-0 on Saturday.

Ohtani had three stolen bases in that game.

Roberts said he could see Ohtani’s determination in spring training to use his speed and be more of a factor on the bases this season.

“He wasn’t going to be a pitcher this year so he was really focusing with Brandon McDaniel (vice president of player performance) and his staff on keeping his body in a good spot to use his legs, which he was really excited about being able to run free,” Roberts said . “You obviously knew he was going to hit homers. I do think 40-40 is something that was on his radar from spring training, and him and (Dodgers coach) Clayton McCullough have a very good relationship and so there’s a lot of trust between those two as far as tendencies with pitchers and things like that.”

With the 40-40 club within his grasp, could Ohtani go on a hot streak and reach 50? That remains unanswered but the potential is definitely there.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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