American media predict Shohei Ohtani will start in Game 7 of the World Series tomorrow after resting for three days.

Following the successful extension of the World Series to a final game, American media have reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers plan to have Shohei Ohtani start as pitcher in tomorrow’s (2nd) Game 7, only three days after he threw 93 pitches in Game 4.

The Los Angeles Times reported that insiders have confirmed Ohtani is slated to start Game 7 tomorrow. Despite the short rest, the Dodgers intend to have him begin the game on the mound, expecting him to pitch for 2 to 3 innings. If he performs well, he might continue through the 4th or 5th inning. This will mark the second time in Ohtani’s career that he has started a game after just three days of rest; the last time was in 2023 at Boston’s Fenway Park, where he pitched 7 strong innings after a similar rest period.

This decision also takes into account MLB’s two-way player rules: if Ohtani starts as a pitcher, he can continue to serve as the designated hitter even after leaving the mound, preserving his batting role; however, if he appears as a relief pitcher and is substituted, he loses the designated hitter privilege and would have to play a fielding position to keep batting. Therefore, starting him ensures his offensive contribution continues uninterrupted and avoids disrupting his pitching warm-up due to batting duties.

In this year’s playoffs, “Pitcher Ohtani” has appeared in 3 games, pitching 18 innings with 25 strikeouts and a 3.50 ERA. The Dodgers still have ample bullpen strength for Game 7: today, Tyler Glasnow was relieved after just 3 pitches in a bases-loaded, no-out situation; Blake Snell, the Game 5 starter, and reliever Roki Sasaki are also ready. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts clearly stated that aside from today’s starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, all other pitchers will be on standby for tomorrow.

This ultimate showdown deciding the championship marks the first Game 7 in the World Series since 2019. The Dodgers may once again pin their hopes on Shohei Ohtani’s two-way talent, hoping he will lead the team to the final victory.