Dodgers 'don't anticipate' Shohei Ohtani pitching in MLB postseason

Jack Flaherty will start Game 1 of this weekend’s National League Division Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers, with rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto set for Game 2.

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said Wednesday that the team hasn't finalized plans for Games 3 and potentially 4, but Walker Buehler and rookie Landon Knack will be involved.

The Dodgers will play the winner of the NL Wild Card between the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres, who lead the best-of-three series 1-0.

The best-of-five NLDS opens Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

Yamamoto has made just four starts since coming off the injured list, having missed nearly three months with an arm injury. The right-hander allowed two runs at Colorado in his final tune-up last weekend. He pitched five innings, his longest outing since returning.

Yamamoto may be an MLB rookie, but he's got plenty of big-game experience in his native Japan, including pitching in the 2022 Japan Series, where he led the Orix Buffaloes to victory, and in the Tokyo Olympics, when Japan won a gold medal.

"I don't think Yama's going to be fazed by the big moment," Gomes said on a teleconference. "If anything, I think he's going to thrive on it."

Flaherty joined the Dodgers from the Detroit Tigers at the July trade deadline. The deal brought him back to his hometown. The right-hander had a 3.58 ERA in 55 1/3 innings over 10 starts for the Dodgers.

Shohei Ohtaniwill continue throwing bullpen sessions as he rehabs from his second elbow surgery a year ago, but there are no plans for him to face live hitters, Gomes said.

"We don’t anticipate him pitching in the postseason," the GM said.

Instead, the Dodgers will rely on his bat to help carry them, as Ohtani did in his record-setting first season with the