Shohei Ohtani is Dodgers' silver lining amid Clayton Kershaw and Tyler Glasnow's injury woes as they face Padres in NLDS, says MLB insider

Shohei Ohtani will make his MLB postseason debut when the LA Dodgers take on the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of the NLDS. For MLB insider Andy McCullough, Ohtani is the only positive thing going for the Dodgers in the post-season amid injuries to ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, and other young pitchers.

Speaking on the "Rich Eisen Show" on Friday, McCullough previewed the postseason bracket. Unfortunately for the LA Dodgers, the insider doesn't have high hopes for them as they take on Padres in the NLDS.

"They [Dodgers] have some real issues with their pitching. They've dealt with a ton of injuries. You know, Clayton Kershaw won't be available; they had Tyler Glasnow go down; they had a bunch of younger players get hurt. So many younger pitchers got hurt this year that they're going to have to do an overhaul of their pitching development program, they’ve said, this winter," said McCullough. [Timestamp 5:48]

Tyler Glasnow won't likely be available for the Dodgers in the postseason and Clayton Kershaw's case is similar, though there's hope for a return. Tony Gonsolin is another notable absence for the Dodgers in the starting rotation.

However, McCullough, who wrote Clayton Kershaw's biography, saw one bright spot for the Dodgers. Unsurprisingly, it is none other than the presence of Shohei Ohtani.

"They have a lot of things going against them. They also employ Shohei Ohtani, and that really helps. In general, teams should try to employ Shohei Ohtani; that's a good sort of blueprint for starting a baseball team. Except for the Angels, unfortunately," said McCullough. [6:07]

Nonetheless, the insider feels the Dodgers have a tougher chance to win the World Series than the New York Yankees. Moreover, he also hinted that the Dodgers might be third best in the National League, behind the Philadelphia Phillies and Padres.

McCullough explains why the Padres are a threat to Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers

Tom Pelissero was the guest host on Friday's "Rich Eisen Show" featuring Andy McCullough. When Pelissero asked what could prevent a dream matchup between the Dodgers and the Yankees, the insider explained why the Padres are a big threat in the NLDS.

"Well, I mean, the Dodgers have to get through San Diego, which is going to be a challenge. I mean, the Padres are a very, very complete team. They don't have a lot of notable flaws. They have star power of their own, with players like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, and they have a sort of high-octane back of the bullpen that can really shorten games," said McCullough. 5:27

The Dodgers and Padres squared off in their penultimate regular-season series. Despite the Dodgers coming back to win the three-game set, the Friars showed why they are a threat.

Regular-season stats won't matter in the postseason. As such, baseball fans will be in for a treat in the Dodgers vs. Padres division series, which many felt will be the most competitive.