Latest news with #MarkPrior
New York Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Could Shohei Ohtani pitch in relief in October? Here's what it would take
DENVER — Is there a scenario where Shohei Ohtani is pitching in relief for the Los Angeles Dodgers this postseason? 'Absolutely,' pitching coach Mark Prior told the Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday morning, though Prior clarified Wednesday afternoon that the discussions the organization has had about it have been limited solely to clarifying the language of the rulebook and Ohtani's ability to remain in the game as a hitter in such a scenario. Advertisement Major League Baseball's 'Ohtani Rule,' which was written for the 2022 season, specifies that a starting pitcher can remain in the game as a designated hitter even after being removed from the game as a pitcher. That does not apply the same way if the pitcher entered in relief; if Ohtani starts a game as a designated hitter and enters the game to pitch, removing him would mean taking him out of the game entirely and losing the designated hitter. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts added Wednesday that the concept of Ohtani pitching in relief in October has come up 'internally, just sort of exploring options.' While Prior said on the program that the idea of Ohtani pitching in relief 'has been discussed,' those discussions, Prior said, came back in June as Ohtani was nearing his return to a big league mound. Ohtani had communicated to the organization that he would rather complete his build-up as a pitcher in big league games, so the team essentially had him start games as an opener while keeping his bat in the lineup. "Can I see it? Absolutely." 👀 – #Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior on the potential of Shohei Ohtani coming out of the bullpen during the postseason. — Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) August 20, 2025 'Maybe it was me asking the question because I didn't have a clear understanding of the moment,' Prior said. 'But if we're using him for one inning, let's use him as a starter. We were trying to talk about how does that play as a reliever. When you read the rulebook, as clear as the rulebook can be at times, he has to be in the lineup as a starter/DH.' The door remains open, regardless, that Ohtani could be used as a reliever at some point in October — it would just have to be in a situation where he would be recording the final outs of the game, such as to avoid the team removing his bat from the lineup. Advertisement 'I think at the end of the day if it gave us a chance to win a ballgame, whatever that added value, I think he would be all-in,' Prior said. 'Within reason. Because I do think he cares about winning ballgames. He cares about helping his team win on both sides of the baseball. So I think if it was presented in that situation, maybe he would. … Again, I don't know what that situation would be but in a kind of playoff, must-win, maybe that would.' Ohtani has only pitched one time in relief since coming over to MLB in 2018, and it wasn't in a big league game; he recorded the final three outs for Samurai Japan to close out the 2023 World Baseball Classic after starting the game as a designated hitter. 'There's still a lot of things we have to get to before it even becomes somewhat tangible,' Roberts said. Including, and most importantly, ensuring that Ohtani gets to October healthy as a starting pitcher, with the Dodgers right now essentially having their ideal group of postseason starting options all healthy between Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw. Also relevant is that Ohtani continues to look as formidable as he has on the mound as he has thus far in his return from a second major elbow surgery. Through his first nine starts (23 1/3 innings), he has a 3.47 ERA and has struck out 32 batters while walking just five. Among the measures the Dodgers have taken to monitor Ohtani, the pitcher, and his workload: while he's built up to five innings, he isn't expected to go any further than that, at least for the remainder of the regular season. Roberts and Prior each confirmed that is still the plan on Wednesday, before Ohtani was set to start on the mound against the Colorado Rockies. 'Right now it's five innings,' Prior said. 'Let's just continue to progress and keep getting him innings and starts and go from there. We'll have those discussions later on and Sho will have a lot of input on those decisions. But right now, it's five.' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
NBC Sports
11 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Prior: Bartman incident shows 'beauty of baseball'
Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior joins the Dan Patrick Show to reflect on why the Steve Bartman incident in the 2003 NLCS was special before explaining what his job entails and listing the power hitters who impress him.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers Urged to Acquire Marlins' Sandy Alcantara by Pedro Martinez
Dodgers Urged to Acquire Marlins' Sandy Alcantara by Pedro Martinez originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Dodgers began the season with a star-studded rotation, but injuries have quickly turned the strength into a liability. All-Star Tyler Glasnow, Cy Young winner Blake Snell, and youngster Roki Sasaki are all on the injured list. Despite Shohei Ohtani's long-awaited return, Los Angeles is projected to look for starting pitching help at the trade deadline. Advertisement One name to watch? Miami Marlins' ace Sandy Alcantara. On a recent Bleacher Report livestream, Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez predicted the Dodgers would make a push for the former NL Cy Young winner. Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) pitches in the first inning against the Washington NationalsJim Rassol-Imagn Images 'I know Sandy hasn't pitched well in LA, but believe me, he needs some help, someone he can trust,' Martinez said. 'I think Mark Prior [Dodgers pitching coach] would be someone that would really relate to Alcantara and someone that can really help him.' Alcantara, returning from Tommy John surgery, has struggled in 2025. In 14 starts, he has a 6.88 ERA with 55 strikeouts and 32 walks over 68 innings. However, he has shown signs of improvement, allowing only four earned runs in 17 innings over his last three starts. Advertisement Working with Prior, as Martinez claims, could do wonders for Alcantara. Having helped restore the careers of Michael Kopech, Alex Vesia, and Tyler Anderson, Prior knows how to get the best out of his pitchers, and Alcantara may have the best stuff out of all of them. Under contract through 2026, with a $21 million club option for 2027—Alcantara would give the team three years to regain his Cy Young-winning form. If Martinez is right, Los Angeles may be preparing to make one of the boldest moves of the deadline and one that would add another top-tier arm to an already stacked rotation, countering the San Francisco Giants acquisition of Rafael Devers in the process. Related: Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Could Break Babe Ruth Record This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ohtani could make mound return in June, Sasaki appears likely to be sidelined for lengthy stretch
Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Shohei Ohtani, center, throws live batting practice as pitching coach Mark Prior, top, watches prior to a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Shohei Ohtani, center, throws live batting practice as pitching coach Mark Prior, second from left, watches prior to a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Shohei Ohtani, center, throws live batting practice as pitching coach Mark Prior, second from left, watches prior to a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Shohei Ohtani, center, throws live batting practice as pitching coach Mark Prior, top, watches prior to a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Shohei Ohtani, center, throws live batting practice as pitching coach Mark Prior, second from left, watches prior to a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani could return to a major league mound in the next two weeks but Los Angeles Dodgers rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki has paused his throwing program and is set for a lengthy layoff. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani will throw to hitters for a fourth time this week and 'potentially' it could be the two-way star's final batting practice session before his first big league pitching appearance since Aug. 23, 2023, for the Los Angeles Angels. Advertisement 'He's getting very eager, very excited,' Roberts said. "And I think there's a point where, in kind of hearing from Shohei, that the effort it takes to throw live BP and then to play a game, (that we'd rather) use those bullets in a game.' A three-time MVP, Ohtani entered Sunday's game with a .290 average, an NL-leading 1.023 OPS and 25 homers. With Sasaki (right shoulder impingement), Blake Snell (left shoulder inflammation) and Tyler Glasnow (right shoulder inflammation) on the injured list, the Dodgers have resorted to bullpen games. 'I think the thought is that, given where we're at right now, anything he can give us (on the mound) is additive,' Roberts said of Ohtani, 'even if it's an inning or two innings on the front end' Advertisement Sasaki has not pitched in a game since May 9 and is not part of the team's long-term pitching plans this season. 'I think that's what the mindset should be,' Roberts said. Being thrust into this environment certainly was a big undertaking for him, and now you layer in the health part and the fact he's a starting pitcher, knowing what the build-up (required to return) entails … I think that's the prudent way to go about it.' Sasaki, 23, went 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA in eight starts after joining the Dodgers from the Pacific League's Chuba Lotte Marines, ,averaging less than 4 1/3 innings per start. His walked 22 and struck out 24 in 34 1/3 innings and his fastball averaged 95.7 mph, down 3-4 mph from his average in Japan. Roberts said Sasaki was pain-free when he resumed throwing in early June, but the pitcher was shut down after feeling discomfort this past week. Sasaki recently received a cortisone injection in the shoulder; Roberts said no further scans are planned. Advertisement 'I don't think it's pain,' Roberts said. 'I don't know if it's discomfort, if it's tightness, if he's just not feeling strong, whatever the adjective you want to use. That's more of a question for Roki, as far as the sensation he's feeling. 'He's just not feeling like he can ramp it up, and we're not going to push him to do something he doesn't feel good about right now.' ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers' Release Unfortunate Roki Sasaki Health Update
Dodgers' Release Unfortunate Roki Sasaki Health Update originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Dodgers gave a rather sobering update on Roki Sasaki on Tuesday. When talking to the press, Dodgers' pitching coach Mark Prior indicated that the 23-year-old fireballer is not progressing in his rehab. According to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, Prior had this to say: Advertisement 'Not a whole lot to report on Roki. I think right now we've got to get him in a position where he feels confident in his ability to throw the baseball. 'There's not a lot to report. He's been throwing, still just light catch and not a lot of work other than light catch right now … He is pain-free, but hasn't gotten to the point where he can put enough intensity to push forward in his progression. It's just a light catch, just exercising in his throw and not necessarily pushing the throw.' Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Sasaki went down with what was described as a shoulder impingement in May, an injury that plagued him last season with the Chiba Lotte Marines and caused his velocity to dip. The good news here is that Sasaki is pain-free. The bad news is pretty straightforward. Initially, the Dodgers expected Sasaki to return in late June. It's rather clear now that it won't be happening. Advertisement Sasaki's arrival in Los Angeles was much-anticipated, having thrown to major success in Japan's NPB, making him the MLB's top prospect upon signing. Unfortunately, Sasaki is yet to live up to the hype, pitching to a 4.72 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 34.1 innings this season, a far cry from the career 2.10 ERA he posted in the NPB. However, if he can regain his velocity with his shoulder injury in the rearview mirror, he could become an impact arm. Related: Dodgers Trade Idea Moves on From Dalton Rushing After Call-Up This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
