LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani vowed Thursday to return as a two-way player after wrapping up an injury-hampered 2026 campaign that ended with him shut down from pitching and struggling at the plate.
The four-time MVP broke a home run drought dating back to mid-August with a three-run shot in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, but it was not enough to prevent the Milwaukee Brewers sweeping the two-time defending World Series champions in a 6-4 comeback victory.
Ohtani was troubled by left knee soreness that initially flared up in June, and he was forced to leave the mound with right biceps inflammation on July 3, in what would be his last pitching appearance of the season.
He was placed on the 15-day injured list and officially shut down from pitching in early September before returning with a handful of games left in the regular season.
"Being unable to pitch in the postseason was a point of disappointment, or that perhaps left me with a sense of frustration," Ohtani said.
"Over the last month or so, I felt that I lacked solutions or a deep enough toolkit to draw from. How I apply this experience from next season will depend on how hard I work from here on out."
He finished the year with 30 home runs, his lowest total since 2021, with some observers attributing his offensive slump in the second half of the season to his intensified efforts in training to return to the mound.
But Ohtani, who turns 33 next July, is adamant he will continue to bat and pitch at the highest level.
"Yes, that's the plan, I intend to do both," he said. "I'll work hard to make next season an even better one."
Ohtani lauded the Brewers as "an excellent, well-balanced team in every aspect," while expressing his disappointment at being unable to contend for a third straight World Series title.
"That was the goal we all managed to work toward throughout the year," he said. "Unfortunately, we didn't reach our goal, but I want to use this experience as fuel for next year and beyond."
