When is Shohei Ohtani playing next? All you need to know about Dodgers' final series against Rockies after clinching NL West title

On Friday, Shohei Ohtani and the LA Dodgers will travel to Denver for their final series of the 2024 regular season against the Colorado Rockies. With the club having already clinched the NL West for the 11th time in the past 12 years, LA will be looking to close off the season successfully before the postseason next week.

For Shohei Ohtani, his first year playing for the Dodgers has been monumental. In addition to leading the NL in home runs, RBIs, on-base percentage, OPS, and plate appearances, Ohtani also became the first player ever to steal 50 bases and hit 50 or more home runs.

"SHOHEI OHTANI HAS DONE IT. 50 HOME RUNS | 50 STOLEN BASES. HISTORY" - MLB

By all indications, Shohei Ohtani will play his usual DH role in the three games scheduled against the Colorado Rockies, as he has done for the previous 10 games against the divisional foes this season. In t10 games against Colorado in 2024, Ohtani has hit .436 with 17 hits, 4 homers, and 10 RBIs.

By next week, Ohtani will step onto the field for an MLB postseason game for the first time. A member of the Los Angeles Angels from 2018 until 2023, Ohtani never saw any playoff action, despite winning a pair of MVP Awards with his former team.

"Shohei Ohtani, Mamiko Tanaka, and Decoy celebrate the Dodgers NL West Championship!" - FOX Sports: MLB

Although there is nothing to lead us to believe that Ohtani will not be playing in the final series of the season, injuries have caused concern for Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. Clayton Kershaw appears to have followed ace Tyler Glasnow to the IL, while an apparent injury to Freddie Freeman's ankle on Thursday will be looked at further.

Postseason to provide the biggest test of Shohei Ohtani's career

While the 30-year-old superstar has set the standard when it comes to regular season performances, the playoffs remain uncharted territory. As manager Dave Roberts recently told The Athletic about this opportunity for Shohei:

“It’s going to really test his patience and discipline, knowing that he’s waited his entire life, essentially, to be in Major League postseason. It’s going to be fascinating to watch.”

Although the sights of many are fixated on the imminent postseason, Ohtani still has one more series to pad the stats of the most incredible single regular season performance in modern baseball history.