Dodgers Get Intuitive Reminder Not to Ruin Shohei Ohtani from a Player Who Would Know. The Los Angeles Dodgers are on the cusp of something historic. By signing Shohei Ohtani to a record-breaking $700 million contract, they have invested in the most unique talent Major League Baseball has ever seen. However, with great power comes great responsibility—especially when managing a player who excels as both a hitter and a pitcher. Fortunately for the Dodgers, they don’t have to look far to find an example of what not to do.
Enter Clayton Kershaw.
The future Hall of Famer, who has been the face of the Dodgers’ pitching staff for well over a decade, knows firsthand the perils of overuse. Kershaw’s career has been defined by brilliance, but also by a laundry list of injuries that, in hindsight, may have been avoidable with better workload management. As Ohtani prepares to return to pitching in 2025 following elbow surgery, the Dodgers would be wise to heed the lessons learned from Kershaw’s experience.
The Cautionary Tale of Clayton Kershaw
For much of his prime, Kershaw was baseball’s ultimate workhorse. From 2010 to 2015, he averaged over 215 innings per season, regularly carrying the Dodgers deep into October. But by 2016, the toll of those innings began to show. Back injuries, shoulder problems, and, more recently, elbow issues have all taken their turn in derailing his ability to stay on the mound consistently. Despite remaining an elite pitcher when healthy, Kershaw’s velocity has dipped, and his dominance isn’t quite what it once was.
His case underscores a critical issue in modern baseball: the balance between maximizing talent and preserving longevity. The Dodgers, notorious for riding their stars hard, need to adopt a different approach with Ohtani.
Ohtani Is a Different Beast
Shohei Ohtani isn’t just a two-way player; he is the two-way player. In 2021, he became the first player in MLB history to start an All-Star Game as both a pitcher and a designated hitter. Managing his workload requires an entirely different strategy than that of a traditional ace or slugger.
The Angels’ approach to Ohtani over his six-year tenure in Anaheim was, at times, reckless. He was asked to pitch, hit, and run the bases like any other player, all while dealing with the inherent physical demands of playing in the American League. The result? A series of injuries, including two major elbow procedures that have cost him significant time on the mound.
The Dodgers cannot afford to make the same mistake. If they want to get the most out of Ohtani for the next decade, they need to implement a plan that prioritizes his health above all else. That could mean limiting his innings, skipping starts when necessary, or even taking a more unconventional approach, such as using him in a six-man rotation permanently.
Learning from Kershaw’s Road
Kershaw’s own injury history provides a roadmap for how the Dodgers should handle Ohtani. Unlike Kershaw, who was often pushed to the limit in pursuit of wins, Ohtani should be managed with an eye toward sustainability. That means:
- Monitoring innings closely – Even when he returns to pitching, Ohtani shouldn’t be logging 200+ innings a year. The Dodgers have a deep rotation that can afford to take some pressure off him.
- Scheduled rest periods – Giving Ohtani scheduled breaks in both his pitching and hitting duties will be key to keeping him fresh.
- Avoiding high-stress usage – The Dodgers’ bullpen depth should be leveraged to avoid late-game situations where Ohtani is forced to overextend himself.
The Bigger Picture
Shohei Ohtani is not just another superstar. He is the most valuable asset in baseball, and the Dodgers have a responsibility to protect that asset at all costs. Clayton Kershaw’s story serves as a stark reminder of how mismanaging a generational talent can lead to years of what ifs? and if onlys.
For the Dodgers, the lesson is clear: Don’t let history repeat itself. Ohtani’s career is too special to be sacrificed for short-term gains. If the Dodgers play their cards right, they can keep him performing at an elite level for years to come—without running him into the ground.
Because if there’s one person who can attest to what happens when a pitcher’s workload is mismanaged, it’s Clayton Kershaw.
