Ohtani grew up watching the former Nippon Ham Fighters’ ace as a kid before embarking on his journey in professional baseball. On Sunday, when Darvish last pitched against LA, Ohtani described the pitcher as his “childhood hero” and said he’d hoped to see him and Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitch against one another.

Don’t expect to see Shohei Ohtani on the mound in the 2024 playoffs. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes quelled any thought of Ohtani pitching this postseason as Los Angeles attempts to make a run for a World Series title.