Might Shohei Ohtani appear in a postseason game this year as a pitcher? That may have seemed improbable earlier in the season, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn’t rule it out Friday.

“I think that you should always leave some margin, a crack in the door for any possibility,” Roberts said on SiriusXM MLB Network Radio. “If things line up and there's a need, and the game, [Ohtani’s] body, everything is telling us that it makes sense in that situation, great. It would be storybook.”

Roberts added that it would be “unfair” to assume Ohtani will definitely take the mound during the playoffs, but just the prospect of his return is a big development for a team that has been inundated with pitching injuries this season.

Ohtani, who underwent surgery on his right elbow in September, recently threw off a mound for the first time. Although the plan has been for him to face live hitters in practice situations before the end of the season, team officials have previously said Ohtani will not pitch at any point this year.

But maybe there’s a chance after all.

“Shohei is on board,” Roberts said. “We’ll just continue his rehab process, and I wouldn't put it past him to have an eye on [pitching in the postseason]. We'll just see how it plays out.”

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