Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani shatters franchise record with Dodger Stadium nukes set just one year ago

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani shatters franchise record with Dodger Stadium nukes set just one year ago originally appeared on The Sporting News

The Los Angeles Dodgers are gearing up for the postseason, and many potential moves are still up in the air. There are rumblings about what might happen—one possibility being that Roki Sasaki could join the postseason roster in a new role come October.

However, one of the best players in baseball may be changing his role within the team. Shohei Ohtani has reportedly discussed the idea of moving to the bullpen for October. If that happens, there’s just one problem.

“The Dodgers are toying with the idea of using Shohei Ohtani in relief during the postseason, but if they do, he would vacate his spot in the lineup when his turn came up to hit. If he’s a starter, he’s permitted to stay in the game as a DH after he’s done pitching,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote.

To avoid this potential complication, Ohtani has been in discussions about possibly playing in the outfield.

“Shohei Ohtani told Japanese media tonight that he's been having internal conversations with the organization about possibly playing the outfield in order to be used in relief,” Michael J. Duarte reported.

While that decision is still uncertain, what is official is Ohtani’s latest milestone. On Saturday night, he made Dodgers history by setting a new franchise record for the most home runs hit at Dodger Stadium.

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“Shohei Ohtani just broke his own record by hitting his 29th home run at Dodger Stadium this season. The previous record was the 28 homers he hit in his first year with LA. Shohei Ohtani is putting the finishing touches on another unanimous MVP,” Dodgersnation’s Doug McKain wrote.

Ohtani has been part of countless historic moments this season. Now, he adds a franchise record to his resume—taking a brief detour from league-wide dominance to etch his name deeper into Dodgers lore.

As the postseason looms, Ohtani is preparing for the high-stakes challenge ahead. The Dodgers have the tools to make a deep run, but before focusing entirely on October, Ohtani made sure to check off a few personal achievements first.