TL;DR
- The Shohei Ohtani Rule is going to dictate what happens with Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers are incentivized to start Ohtani on the mound, even with short rest.
- If MLB had never made the "Ohtani Rule" in 2022, maybe that wouldn't be true.
- But with the rule?
The Shohei Ohtani Rule is going to dictate what happens with Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are incentivized to start Ohtani on the mound, even with short rest.
If MLB had never made the "Ohtani Rule" in 2022, maybe that wouldn't be true. But with the rule? It'd be silly not to start Ohtani, if the Dodgers plan on pitching him at some point.
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Ohtani must start Dodgers Game 7
The Ohtani Rule is contingent on Ohtani serving as the starting pitcher.
Under MLB regulations, a club may retain its starting pitcher in the batting order as the designated hitter once they've exited the pitching role.
It does not apply to relief pitchers.
Should Ohtani enter the game as a relief pitcher and subsequently be removed from pitching, his continued presence in the batting order would necessitate a transition to an outfield position. Should that occur, the designated hitter position in the batting order would be lost, and the subsequent pitcher would then be placed in the lineup.
To ensure Ohtani is in the lineup as the designated hitter for the entire Game 7, the Dodgers' only option is to have him pitch.
It will be a brief rest, indeed. Should Ohtani be slated to pitch at some juncture, the optimal approach would be to employ the strategy that best leverages their exceptional two-way talent.
And that's to give him the ball from the first batter of the bottom of the first onward in Toronto and see how long he can go.
Additional World Series updates:
- Max Scherzer has a good Game 7 omen
- Why Davis Schneider Grew a Mustache for The Blue Jays
- Bo Bichette confesses he considered departing Toronto following the World Series.