Ohtani aims to pitch next season despite uncertain surgery plans
Shohei Ohtani said he intends to return to the mound in 2027, though he has not decided whether knee or biceps surgery will be required during the offseason.
Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way star, indicated he plans to pitch in the 2027 season despite lingering questions about the need for offseason surgery on his left knee or right biceps. The 32-year-old told The Athletic's Katie Woo that it is "hard to tell" which procedure, if any, will be necessary, but he expects to be on the mound next year.
Ohtani’s performance declined in the final months of the regular season, as his batting line fell to .160/.284/.253 after Aug. 18, while a left-knee injury kept him from pitching since early July and right-biceps inflammation led to a 15-day IL stint in September. In the postseason, he went 5-for-26 with ten strikeouts in 32 plate appearances, including a three-run homer that gave the Dodgers a 4-0 lead in the second inning of the Division Series.
When healthy, Ohtani remained dominant. He started 14 games, posting a 1.79 ERA over 85 2/3 innings with a 27.9% strikeout rate and a 7.6% walk rate. FanGraphs credited his pitching with 2.9 wins above replacement, placing him in the top 20% of pitchers with at least 80 innings. At the plate, he finished the season with a .275/.377/.512 slash line, 30 home runs and a 139 wRC+, contributing 3.7 fWAR for hitting and 6.6 fWAR overall.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said before the postseason,
"What he’s doing is unprecedented, and it takes a real toll. It’s unprecedented for all of us, and we’re kind of feeling our way through it together."
The organization said it will continue to monitor Ohtani’s health and, if surgery is required, will aim to complete it without compromising his readiness for the 2027 campaign. The Dodgers, who posted a 111 wRC+ regular-season total, have depth among their remaining hitters and expect to remain competitive regardless of Ohtani’s availability.
The team’s rotation may rely more heavily on Ohtani if other starters, such as Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and potential free-agent Tarik Skubal, see limited innings.