Roberts: Ohtani open to trying left field when arm heals

What will Shohei Ohtani’s main role be in his first season with the Dodgers? Manager Dave Roberts spelled it out pretty clearly during an interview on the Dan Patrick Show on Friday:

“It’s two letters: DH,” Roberts said.

Designated hitter has been Ohtani’s traditional spot as a position player, but that in fact may not be the only position he plays with Los Angeles. Roberts left open the possibility that Ohtani could see time in left field.

“There was even a little talk with Shohei about, come September when he can pick up a baseball and throw, would he be open to taking some balls out there in left field?” Roberts said.

“[Ohtani] said, ‘If it works and my arm feels OK, I'm open to it.' So we'll see, but we've got a lot of time before we get to that point."

The two-time American League Most Valuable Player has seen time in the field in only seven games during his Major League career, none of which he started. All of those games came in 2021, and he played right field in six of the seven. Ohtani’s lone half-inning in left field was an uneventful frame against the Astros on April 24 of that year.

Including his time in Japan, Ohtani has played only eight games in left field. He made five appearances there in 2013 and two in '14 with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

Ohtani will almost certainly not pitch until 2025 after undergoing elbow surgery in September, but Roberts said he “absolutely” expects Ohtani to continue being a two-way player once he has fully recovered.

With Mookie Betts moving to second base, the Dodgers’ Opening Day outfield appears to feature Jason Heyward in right field, James Outman in center and Chris Taylor in left. But once Ohtani’s throwing arm is healthy enough, it seems like there is at least a chance he could help that group, beginning in the regular season’s final month.