Dodgers Interview: Ohtani’s in playoff mode—and Doc might push him tonight

PHOENIX — Before Tuesday’s opener against the Diamondbacks, Dave Roberts made it clear: Shohei Ohtani isn’t easing into October—he’s already there. After five no-hit innings in his last start, Ohtani takes the ball tonight with the green light to stretch out, and Roberts didn’t rule out a small but meaningful push.

Roberts said the club has had “good conversations” with Ohtani about length and that, if the game state allows, the target is to “get into that sixth inning and through that sixth inning.” That’s a notable shift from the guarded, spring-training-style build the Dodgers have used for most of September. According to Roberts, that phase is over. Ohtani “is in playoff mode,” and with this likely his final regular-season start, the plan is to “lay it all out there,” pitch well, and—most importantly—win the game.

The strategic value of even three to six extra outs from Ohtani is obvious in October. Roberts emphasized how every inning taken by an ace-caliber arm cascades into better matchups and fresher relievers: one fewer bridge arm, one more rested leverage guy tomorrow, and less exposure to the same bullpen looks in a short series. In his words, “any extra inning you can get with your most talented pitchers is of benefit.” If tonight’s push goes smoothly, it gives the Dodgers more postseason options—not just for Game 1, but for how they script the series behind him.

Which brings us to the next natural question: will Ohtani start the Wild Card opener next week? Roberts wouldn’t stamp it in ink, but he didn’t dance around it either—the “likelihood” that Ohtani starts a game in the first series is “very high.” The club wants to see how tonight unfolds before locking anything, but the direction of travel is pretty clear. The last three to four starts have been a planned ramp—more intensity, better execution—and Ohtani himself signaled he’s done with tune-ups. Tonight is about confirming that foundation at a slightly higher workload.

Roberts also touched on how the Dodgers will manage the rest of the October rotation and the in-series chess that comes with it. Unlike last year, he said, the Dodgers have “essentially six guys” they trust to take down starts, which gives them flexibility without forcing awkward schedule contortions. Asked about managing extra rest (a storyline last postseason with Yoshinobu Yamamoto), Roberts said it’s less complicated now because of that depth. Everything is on the table—including creative sequencing in a playoff environment—especially because Yamamoto is “open to it,” whether that means short rest, a shifted day, or a hybrid look. The key, as Roberts framed it, is balancing willingness with smart alternatives; the Dodgers won’t force a move if an equally strong option exists within the depth chart.

Help for that depth is arriving from the bullpen, too. Roberts said that righty Roki Sasaki is expected to be activated tomorrow and will work out of the pen. The role isn’t defined yet—by design. The Dodgers want to pick their spots and “run the best guys out there,” with the postseason roster dictating how aggressive they can be. For now, Roki’s been building on two days’ rest between outings, but Roberts didn’t rule out a “two out of three” scenario in October if the situation demands it. The message: be ready, be versatile. As for Brock, the Dodgers are taking it day-to-day, leaning cautious on workload and how he’s feeling before making any activation call.

All of this, of course, is happening inside a pennant-race cauldron. Arizona is clawing for a Wild Card spot, the Dodgers are pushing to lock up the West, and Roberts said he expects the same locked-in brand of baseball they’ve shown over the last 10 days. The subtext is simple: the best way to prepare for October is to play October-style games now—on the road, in a playoff atmosphere, against a desperate opponent—and let your ace set the tone.

A few other notes from the skipper, even as the pitching plan dominated the day:

• On the league’s newly announced ABS/challenge system arriving next season, Roberts called it “great” for fans, strategy, and consistency—raising focus for everyone without taking a shot at umpires.
• Will Smith will travel with the team to Seattle and remains day-to-day; nothing new beyond that update.

But the headline is Ohtani. The Dodgers spent most of September building him up with care; tonight, they might nudge the line. If Ohtani turns six clean in the desert, Roberts gains more freedom to script the bullpen, more paths to a rested high-leverage group, and one more data point that his two-way superstar is fully strapped in for October. For a club that plans to play deep into the month, those extra pitches tonight could pay off for weeks.

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