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Dodgers Eye Ohtani for Decisive Game 7, Blue Jays Counter with Scherzer
TORONTO, ON – With the season hanging in the balance, the Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly leaning towards a bold move for Saturday’s Game 7, planning to start superstar Shohei Ohtani on short rest. While a final decision was pending late Friday night, the team is strongly considering the unprecedented strategy.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed after his team’s crucial 3-1 victory in Game 6 that all pitchers, with the exception of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, will be available for the winner-take-all contest. This includes Tyler Glasnow, who was initially slated for Game 7 but closed out Game 6, and Roki Sasaki, who faced seven batters.
Ohtani, who pitched six innings and threw 93 pitches in Game 4, would be taking the mound on just three days’ rest. His only prior start on three days’ rest occurred in 2023 after a short two-inning outing. All of his other major league starts have come on the customary five or six days’ rest.
The decision to start Ohtani is partly influenced by the two-way rule, which allows him to remain in the game as the designated hitter after his pitching duties conclude. If Ohtani were to enter as a reliever and then exit, he would be required to play in the outfield to bat again. While closing the game, as he famously did in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, remains an option, it presents challenges in managing warm-ups while batting or running the bases.
Across the diamond, the Blue Jays will counter with veteran Max Scherzer for Game 7. Toronto also has most of its pitching staff available, with the exception of Kevin Gausman.
This includes 22-year-old phenom Trey Yesavage, who dominated the Dodgers in Game 5, striking out 12 over seven innings of one-run ball. While Saturday would typically be a bullpen day for Yesavage, he could now be called upon in the decisive game of the 2025 season.
“If the people who make the decision think it’s a good idea for the team,” Yesavage stated, “then I’m all for it.”