When is Shohei Ohtani playing next? All you need to know about Dodgers star's upcoming schedule

Thanks in no small part to Shohei Ohtani's record-setting regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers secured the top NL seed and a first-round bye. This meant that, while other teams were experiencing some chaos over the last few days, the Dodgers were watching and waiting to learn their next opponent.

While there is one NL Wild Card Series still going on, the one that matters to LA has concluded. The San Diego Padres swept the Atlanta Braves out of the postseason, and now they will face Ohtani and the rested Dodgers.

The National League Division Series will begin on Saturday, Oct. 5. Matchups are official, so these two teams will face off for at least three but up to five games beginning that day.

Ohtani set numerous records in the regular season and played a ton of games, and the ailing pitching staff was able to rest with him. The Padres will get two full days of rest since they were able to sweep, but the Dodgers have been off since Sept. 29.

---

Shohei Ohtani likely won't pitch during MLB playoff debut

Throughout his career, Shohei Ohtani has done a lot of things. He hasn't yet played in the MLB playoffs, though. His tenure with the Los Angeles Angels, which lasted six seasons, went without a single berth.

This will be a new experience for him, though he did play in the postseason in Japan and was a star for Japan in the World Baseball Classic last year. However, he will be a first-time competitor in the MLB.

The Dodgers don't expect Shohei Ohtani to pitch (Imagn)

Ohtani has been rehabbing his pitching arm after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Earlier in the season, the Dodgers reportedly mulled putting him as a pitcher occasionally to alleviate some stress on their banged-up starting rotation.

However, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes has pumped the brakes on that. Via MLB, he said:

“I think it’s no different than before. We don’t anticipate him pitching in the postseason.”

The door is technically still open, but it looks as if fans will have to wait at least another year before they see Ohtani take on a playoff game from the mound. This year, he should be exclusively a DH once more.