Braves legend gives expert advice to Dodgers on using Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw in postseason

Heading into the playoffs, the LA Dodgers boast arguably the most well-rounded starting pitching rotation.

With the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Emmet Sheehan looking good at the moment, and Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw also capable of making important contributions, skipper Dave Roberts enjoys the rare luxury of having more pitching options than he might need.

On Thursday's episode of "Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander", Atlanta Braves Hall of Famer John Smoltz assessed Roberts' possible tactics with the pitching arsenal at his disposal, especially concerning Ohtani and Kershaw.

"It's going to be one of those things, I think they're going to use a piggy-back situation. I can see, you know, Ohtani being a starter, and maybe piggy-backing it with Kershaw, or maybe piggy-backing it with somebody else. They have the luxury of having choices."

Continuing, Smoltz reiterated that the Dodgers cannot succeed in the playoffs just by relying on their stacked pitching staff; their players must continue to show their quality in the big moments.

"That doesn't always mean it's going to work out," Smoltz said [5:40]. "They need pitchers pitching hot at the right time. Blake Snell needs to do what he does, and he misses bats. Glasnow, same thing, and then Yamamoto. They are going to be the favorites, despite their record, or wherever they land, because of those pitchers."

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Smoltz has his say on the Dodgers potentially moving Shohei Ohtani to the bullpen

With the Dodgers having many starting pitching options, several fans and experts are raising the possibility of moving Ohtani to the back end and utilizing his quality on the mound to close out games.

According to John Smoltz, however, such a move is unlikely.

"That's not going to happen," Smoltz said [7:48]. "Plus, there's too many things with him batting that have to be structured perfectly. He has to have a structure, know when he's going to warm up, know when he's going to pitch, and then when he's done, he continues to hit."

Shohei Ohtani in action against the Cincinnati Reds. (Credits: Getty)

At the moment, Ohtani and the Dodgers continue to battle arch-rivals the San Diego Padres to retain the NL West title.