Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani revealed he looks forward to a week of rest ahead of Game 1 of the World Series.
The Dodgers completed a four-game sweep over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, securing their position in the World Series once again this season. The opening game of the Fall Classic isn’t until Friday, giving Ohtani and the rest of the Dodgers seven days to prepare.
“I do see it as a positive in terms of being able to rest, both as a position player and as a pitcher,” Ohtani said. “We’ve had some off days, but we’ve played some very meaningful games that were very stressful.
“And as you’ve stated, I think it’s going to be really important for us to be able to have that kind of game edge and to be able to maintain it throughout this week.”
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Ohtani played a huge role in the Dodgers’ Game 4 win over the Brewers, and perhaps deserves the rest more than anyone. He threw six shutout innings against the Brewers, striking out 10 batters. He also dazzled at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three home runs in the contest.
The superstar is one of three Dodgers to hit three home runs in a postseason game in the last 10 years, the others being Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor.
His electric performance earned him NLCS MVP following the end of the series.
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The three-time MVP could likely use the rest, though, as he has struggled throughout the postseason and only missed four of the Dodgers’ regular season games. Heading into his generational performance in Game 4, Ohtani batted just .158 through the first nine games of the postseason.
He’ll look to return energized and riding the high of potentially the most impressive postseason performance of all time in the World Series.
Having finished their series Friday, the Dodgers will also get a few extra days of rest over their American League counterparts. The ALCS is still going on, with Game 6 set to come Sunday at 5:03 p.m. PT. The Seattle Mariners currently hold a 3-2 series lead over the Toronto Blue Jays heading into the game, and have the opportunity to clinch Sunday.
