Why is Shohei Ohtani pitching in Game 7 as starter? All you need to know about the MLB rule helping Dodgers vs Blue Jays

Shohei Ohtani has enjoyed yet another MVP-caliber year in 2025, finishing the regular season with a .282 batting average, along with 55 home runs and 102 RBIs.

Alongside his contributions at the plate, the 31-year-old has also doubled as a pitcher for his team, and a quite capable one at that. Such is skipper Dave Roberts' trust in Ohtani's pitching abilities, that he has chosen to send the superstar to the mound for Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday, despite Ohtani being on only three days' rest.

Shohei Ohtani's talents on the baseball field are quite well known amongst MLB fans at this point. However, many may still be unaware about the special rule that makes his two-way prowess possible in the first place.

Recently, Ohtani has stated he is willing to feature as a relief pitcher from the bullpen if need be. Though this may sound like a great option in theory, it comes with significant repercussions that make it an ill-advised move on skipper Dave Roberts' part.

Shohei Ohtani hits three home runs and strikes out 10 batters as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 to win game 4 and the NLCS. - Source: Getty

According to MLB Rule 5.11(b), if a player is both the starting pitcher and a hitter, he can continue to feature as a DH once he is done pitching for the day.

Were he to feature as a relief pitcher, the Dodgers would have to remove Ohtani from the batting lineup once his work on the mound was done. The only way to work around such a situation would be to play Ohtani in a fielding position, which seldom happens.

Therefore, using Shohei Ohtani as a starting pitcher is the best course of action for the Dodgers to ensure they can provide him with as many opportunities to influence the game as possible.

Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers are looking to seal back-to-back World Series titles on Saturday

Before he signed with the Dodgers in late 2023, Shohei Ohtani had spent six seasons with the LA Angels. In that time, he was never able to make it to the postseason.

Hence, his first taste of playoff baseball came in 2024, as the Dodgers sealed their spot after winning the NL West. The experience could hardly have gone better for Ohtani, as he and his team romped to the World Series title.