00:00you said the key decision for them is coming tomorrow where I think that,
00:05I mean, I don't know.
00:07I mean, is it possible that Shohei Otani is done for the rest of the series
00:11and the world series?
00:12Because if they kick him off the roster, so to speak, Joe,
00:16then he would not be able to play in the world series if the Dodgers get
00:19there, but down Oh two,
00:21I don't know if there's another option for him at this point.
00:24He looks completely lost to the plate.
00:26Got to make that decision.
00:28And it comes down to it.
00:30Is he hurt?
00:31Is he not?
00:32I mean, it's not like we've ever been, you know,
00:34they've ever been forthcoming with what's going on with him.
00:37Don't forget we were in August covering his team and Dave Roberts was looking
00:41everyone in the face and telling him,
00:43we fully expect him to be pitching and coming.
00:46No, there's obviously where there was smoke, there was fire here,
00:50but how much of it is injury related?
00:53Could it be something else?
00:54But are we really thinking Dave Roberts is going to make that kind of change
01:00now?
01:01I mean,
01:01is a 50% Otani better than anything that he's got on that bench that he would
01:06think about replacing him with for the, like you said,
01:09the rest of the postseason?
01:11Well, I mean, look,
01:12one option would be to sit him down,
01:14but you know,
01:16at that,
01:16at that point,
01:17would he be a pitch hitter?
01:18Would you even use him in that spot?
01:20Uh, you know, look, I, I don't know.
01:22And I don't know this.
01:23And he's like the most mysterious player in baseball, as we know.
01:26So my guess is, you know,
01:27just guessing is they go back to LA and they have him look that again and see
01:32where he's at.
01:33But, uh, I, I have a suspicion here, Joe,
01:36that we've seen the last of them play.
01:37I do.
01:37I think that there,
01:38there's gotta be something seriously wrong for him to look as lost as he is
01:41swinging at pitches that are so far out.
01:43And, um, so the answer kind of is yes.
01:46If the Dodgers feel they have anybody better than somebody who's really hurt,
01:50then they take them off the roster.
01:52And then, you know,
01:52the other thing that the Dodgers could have done is,
01:55is if this series went a different way,
01:57they could just sit them for a few days.
01:59And then if they get to the world series,
02:00start them back up in a week,
02:02but that's, that's not an option.
02:03If the Dodgers lose the next game,
02:05the Dodgers are not winning the NLCS.
02:07They're not winning four games in a row.
02:09They easily could win three games in a row right now and take a lead.
02:11But once you're down Oh three in sports,
02:15uh, once every decade or so,
02:19some team does it.
02:20And we're talking about them.
02:21I don't know that the Dodgers are that team got to win the next game.
02:24Well, it was certainly, you know,
02:26I will Smith hitting now that's another problem coupled with the fact that what
02:31are you going to do to Otani?
02:32Are you going to drop him down in the order?
02:34Yeah.
02:34I'm just,
02:35I find it fascinating that if it's truly an injury related,
02:40that they would have let it linger on for the,
02:43I mean,
02:43they could not be that cocky enough to think that,
02:47well,
02:47we'll just keep them on a roster and keep our finger.
02:50We're going to blow through everyone here and give them some time off.
02:54Like I,
02:55if it really is injury related,
02:57are you doing yourself any favor by rolling him out there and risking even
03:02more injury?
03:03I think it's fascinating to me the way they've handled the whole situation.
03:08Yeah.
03:08Well,
03:08you look,
03:09he,
03:09he clearly was not hurt even or not healthy.
03:11Excuse me.
03:12Last series.
03:12It's obvious that he,
03:13that he's just not,
03:14he's just not the same,
03:15but I think that there is the level of cache with Shohei Ohtani,
03:19as you said,
03:20that if you think he's 50% or 60% and maybe there's a chance of getting
03:23better,
03:25you know,
03:25you put them out there,
03:26but now with their backs against the wall and they're playing essentially a
03:29man short,
03:30short because I don't think there's any scenario he plays in the next game.
03:33And so it's just a matter of,
03:35do they send them out on the,
03:37I guess,
03:38IL or whatever it is,
03:39and then deem him out for the rest of the way.
03:42I mean,
03:42Joe,
03:42I think that's a possibility.
03:43I think they have to entertain that possibility.
03:45You can't have like a zero in the lineup.
03:48And also you can't have a player,
03:50you know,
03:51of his degree,
03:52just go out there and play when he's not even close to a hundred percent.
03:55I suspect that we're going to hear something about like a surgery or some
04:00kind after the season.
04:01I mean,
04:02that's,
04:02that's the way to me that this is going.
04:04I'm guessing Ohtani got with the Dodgers and said,
04:06look,
04:06I'm healthy enough to play.
04:08But now at this point,
04:10you know,
04:10he wanted to pitch.
04:11He wanted to win the Cy Young.
04:12He wanted to come back.
04:13He wanted to play.
04:14Now the Dodgers have to step in and say,
04:15okay,
04:16you know,
04:16enough's enough here.
04:17Like with all due respect,
04:19700 million,
04:20we get it.
04:20We're down Oh two,
04:22you know,
04:22like we're not,
04:23we're not in a position to play around anymore.
04:25Like we were unfortunately that would have him out for the world series.
04:29And I know people are laughing at home going world series.
04:31I mean,
04:31they're down Oh two.
04:32It is not over at all until the home team loses in sports.
04:35It ain't over.
04:36Dodgers could easily win the next one,
04:38lose the next one after that,
04:40win the next one after that and go back to Milwaukee.
04:42You never know how these series could go,
04:44but I suspect Joe,
04:45he's finished.
