Cubs' difficult path to NL pennant reaches fever pitch with latest Dodgers news

Before we get into the meat and potatoes of this, can we all just be thankful that the Chicago Cubs don't play in the National League West this year?

Obviously, the San Francisco Giants (41-31) just secured their long-awaited franchise star by swindling the Boston Red Sox for Rafael Devers, which only makes them even more potent in both the Wild Card picture and overarching NL hierarchy.

Then, there's the San Diego Padres (39-31) and Arizona Diamondbacks (36-35), both of whom are above .500 and have recent deep postseason runs on their track record.

But of course, the true powerhouse on the West Coast is the Los Angeles Dodgers (43-29), the reigning World Series champions with multiple Cy Young contenders and MVPs dotting their roster. Only one player fits both descriptions, but Shohei Ohtani is relegated to full-time designated hitter duties, right? Right?

Shohei Ohtani to pitch for Dodgers, though Cubs' regular season remains unchanged

As most baseball fans know, Ohtani hasn't pitched since 2023 when he was still plying his trade for the Los Angeles Angels.

He only threw 481 2/3 innings in his career before his second Tommy John surgery, though they were really impressive innings. He has a career 3.01 ERA (3.31 FIP) with a 31.2% strikeout rate (MLB average is 22.7%) and .612 OPS allowed (.727 MLB average).

In his best season on the mound, 2022, he finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting thanks to his 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts in 166.0 innings of work. The health of his arm remains a giant question mark, but there's no denying Ohtani's talent as a pitcher.

So, what's the silver lining to all of this?

Well, the Cubs don't have to play the Dodgers again this year (in the regular season at least) by virtue of having played them seven times in March and April. And, need I remind you, the Cubs won the season series 4-3 after getting swept in Tokyo to open up the 2025 MLB season.

Also, the Dodgers' injured list of pitchers is just a who's who of their recent blockbuster acquisitions and top prospects: Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Gavin Stone, River Ryan, Tony Gonsolin, and more.

Because of that, Ohtani's return is more significant in stature than it is in practice. His MVP candidacy will only shine brighter if he can come close to replicating his previous success on the mound, which would be mighty unfortunate for Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker.

However, the injury-plagued Dodgers are still lightyears away from living up to their "Death Star" billing, even with Ohtani making his long-awaited return to pitching.

Of course, come the postseason... well, let's cross that bridge when we get to it, shall we?