Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has officially ruled out the possibility of Shohei Ohtani returning to the mound this postseason.

According to MLB.com, Roberts said Thursday there was “no chance” Ohtani would play in the World Series against the New York Yankees. Bryan Hoch.

Ohtani hasn’t pitched since elbow surgery last September, but Roberts in question There was a “possibility” of pitching in the postseason last month.

The World Series starts Friday night in Los Angeles. The first pitch of Game 1 is scheduled for 8:08 PM ET.

Jack Flaherty will take the mound in Game 1, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto is scheduled to start in Saturday’s Game 2.

Being limited to certain innings didn’t stop Ohtani from playing a key role in helping the Dodgers eliminate the New York Mets in six games and win the NLCS.

He finished the series batting .364 with a 1.184 OPS with two home runs and nine walks and six RBIs, including one in the pennant-clinching Game 6.

After facing the Yankees, Roberts’ next task will be to decide whether Ohtani is on track to make his debut in the Dodgers rotation in 2025.

Ohtani resumed pitching practice in March and had reached an 85 percent intensity level by August, according to ESPN. Alden González.

President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Dodgers management met with Ohtani in late September to discuss whether he would hold live batting practice in October. Jack Harris between Los Angeles Times.

Friedman told Harris that returning to BP sooner would allow Ohtani to “perform better in February,” but that the Dodgers needed to find a way for him to continue his rehab without “any negative repercussions this October.”

The Dodgers begin the 2025 season with a series against the Chicago Cubs in Japan, but getting Ohtani to take the mound in his home country is less important than keeping him healthy for the Dodgers to certainly have a chance at a championship. .

All eyes are now on Flaherty, who aims to bounce back from his struggles in Game 5 of the NLCS by leading the Dodgers to a win on Friday.