Shohei Ohtani in a Dodgers home jersey. Los Angeles is weighing how to manage his pitching and designated hitter workload in 2027. 
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LAS VEGAS – The Dodgers are considering more days off from the lineup for Shohei Ohtani as they work out how to use him on the mound in 2027. General manager Brandon Gomes said at the GM Meetings that pitching from the start of the season is among the possibilities the club wants to discuss with Ohtani.
Gomes said the Dodgers expect Ohtani to have a normal offseason. As the roster comes together, they’ll have a better idea of how to balance his work as a starter and designated hitter over a full season. Gomes said the conversations with Ohtani so far have been mostly in passing.
“For us to unilaterally decide that doesn’t make sense,” Gomes told reporters, including DodgersBeat. “It’s really bringing him into the conversation and figuring out how to navigate a full season.”
For the Dodgers, an extra day off would mean giving up Ohtani’s bat for a game. That’s a trade-off they could consider if it helps him sustain a two-way workload. Gomes raised it while discussing the volume of work Ohtani takes on, and said the club wants to put him in position to be at his best in October.
Gomes said he expects Ohtani would want to play the full season. How often he pitches and when he takes a day off are questions the Dodgers want to work through with him as those offseason conversations get more detailed.
The rotation is also taking shape. Gomes said he expects the Dodgers to meet with Tarik Skubal’s representatives. Whether Skubal returns will affect the options available when the Dodgers sit down with Ohtani.
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