The Los Angeles Dodgers were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, and Shohei Ohtani was clearly held back by injuries.
Ohtani did manage to hit the Dodgers' only home run of the series, a three-run blast in Game 4 facing elimination, but he slashed .192/.323/.308 in the postseason overall. He did not pitch in the second half as he nursed biceps and knee injuries.
Ohtani did not use his injuries as an excuse, but acknowledged them. However, he is unsure if he will need surgical intervention to get things right.
"Hard to tell at this point,” Ohtani said after Game 4, per The Athletic's Katie Woo. “It’s something that’s going to be analyzed, discussed over the offseason, and (we’ll) see if it’s a viable thing to do.”
Ohtani is a unique case since pitching and hitting put more toll on his body than a normal player. He has already said that he plans to pitch again next season, but he will try to find a way to better prepare himself for the season so he can stay healthy.
Ohtani pitching is not just a gimmick. He was great on the mound this year, posting a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts, and going at least six innings in all but one of those starts. Before the injuries crept in, Ohtani was having a stellar year at the plate as well. He was the MVP frontrunner in the National League for much of the season.
Whether he needs surgery or not is uncertain, but if he wants to be a successful two-way player, he will need to make sure he's 100% healthy going into 2027.