LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ chase for a World Series three-peat came to an abrupt halt Thursday night when the Milwaukee Brewers finished a four-game sweep in the National League Championship Series. Now, the organization enters an offseason defined by urgent questions surrounding superstar Shohei Ohtani and the future of his two-way workload.
Milwaukee clinched the pennant with a 6-4 victory in Game 4, overcoming a 4-0 Los Angeles lead built in part by Ohtani’s three-run home run. Despite that brief flash of power, the defeat marked the conclusion of a frustrating, injury-filled second half for the designated hitter and pitcher.
Mounting injuries and an offensive slide
Through the early months of the 2026 campaign, Ohtani performed at an MVP level. Before the All-Star break, he maintained a .953 OPS with 22 home runs while logging 14 pitching starts, posting an earned run average reported as 1.79 by Bleacher Report and 1.76 by Baseball Now. However, physical ailments soon derailed his mound work. Left knee inflammation, neck soreness and right biceps trouble prompted the Dodgers to shut him down from pitching after his July 3 outing.
The physical toll quickly spread to his hitting. Baseball Now reported that Ohtani began a throwing progression on Aug. 8 in an effort to return to pitching, after which his offensive output plummeted. According to Bleacher Report, he endured a homerless drought from Aug. 18 until his Game 4 blast, posting an OPS of .530 across that stretch. Los Angeles placed him on the injured list for approximately two weeks in September to rest his arm, but he struggled upon returning, batting .200 in eight September games, EssentiallySports reported.
Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the physical toll prior to Game 3 of the NLCS, describing Ohtani’s issues as affecting “everything,” including his upper body and knee, the California Post reported. In the postseason, Ohtani went 5-for-26 with 14 strikeouts in 30 plate appearances, according to playoff statistics cited across reports.
Uncertain surgery plans and two-way commitment
Speaking through interpreter Will Ireton during a brief postgame session on Thursday, Ohtani addressed the lingering health questions and did not rule out potential offseason medical procedures. When asked whether surgery might be required, Ohtani said it was “hard to tell at this point” and noted the topic would be analyzed and evaluated during the winter, Dodgers Nation and The Athletic reported.
Despite the physical breakdown, Ohtani made it clear that he expects to remain a two-way contributor. Expressing disappointment over his inability to pitch late in the year and throughout the playoffs, Ohtani told reporters in Japanese that he intends to continue both roles and aims for a better season ahead.
“I intend on doing everything,” Ohtani said, expressing regret that he could not take the mound during the postseason.
Managing the workload for 2027
Analysts and observers have argued that the Dodgers must re-evaluate how they deploy their $700 million superstar as he enters his age-33 season. On Foul Territory, The Athletic analyst Fabian Ardaya suggested Los Angeles may need to rethink its scheduling, perhaps having Ohtani focus purely on designated hitter duties early in the year before gradually adding pitching later in the summer, similar to past ramp-ups.
Bleacher Report noted that Ohtani’s left knee serves as both his landing leg on the mound and his back leg in the batter’s box, compounding the stress whenever lower-body inflammation flares. While Ohtani has seven seasons remaining on his contract, team executives and medical staff must now determine how to balance his immense competitive drive with the physical realities of maintaining an elite two-way role.
