Ohtani set for potential postseason pitching debut in NL Wild Card Series

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani will “probably” make his postseason pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers if their NL Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds goes to a deciding third game.

The entire series will be played at Dodger Stadium, starting Tuesday. Game 3 would be Thursday.

Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani is “probably” the Game 3 starter.

Ohtani (1-1, 2.87 ERA) didn’t pitch for the Dodgers last season while recovering from a second elbow surgery. He became the first player in major league history with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases as the Dodgers won the World Series over the New York Yankees.

The two-way superstar never made the playoffs during six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.

At the plate, Ohtani revived himself this month, hitting .312 with 10 home runs and a 1.165 OPS. He finished the regular season with a career-high 55 homers, one more than last season.

“He can beat you with his legs, he can beat you with his arm,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “He's a generational talent.”