What happened: Shohei Ohtani was determined to return to the mound, and the Los Angeles Dodgers kept that door open even as his injuries lingered, per The Athletic's Katie Woo. By October he was compromised, and the Dodgers were swept out of the NLCS.

Why it matters: Woo's piece argues that both Ohtani and the club mishandled the injuries. It follows a right bicep issue that added to October pitching concerns in July. The Dodgers still expect him to pitch without surgery.

What to watch: Watch how Los Angeles structures Ohtani's pitching workload for 2027, when the club says it is excited about his return to the mound.