LOS ANGELES – In a World Series game chock-full of storylines, an apparent conclusion was reached Thursday: Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will not make a dramatic return to the mound to face the New York Yankees.

“There’s no way, none at all,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Thanks for asking.”

Ohtani hasn’t pitched since undergoing major elbow surgery with the Los Angeles Angels in September 2023. The two-time star was a strictly designated hitter for the Dodgers this season, so good that he is the overwhelming favorite to win the National League MVP after the first 50/50 season in MLB history.

In the meantime, he rehabilitated his elbow. Finally, in late August, he started casting off a hill. Then last month, Roberts opened the door for Ohtani to pitch in the postseason. But the Dodgers soon put the brakes on the idea. Roberts knocked them down on Thursday.

Ohtani, meanwhile, didn’t seem disappointed with the decision.

“I never told them I wanted to pitch in the postseason,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman underscored that in an interview with ESPN Radio earlier in the day, saying Ohtani “will be a one-way player for the next 10 days and then go back to being a two-way player.”

Ohtani would have joined a bullpen that has been fundamental to the Dodgers’ postseason success. With only three starters, the Dodgers are expected to play at least one bullpen game in the World Series. The relief corps was able to receive reinforcements.

Dodgers left-handed reliever Alex Vesia told ESPN’s Alden González that he is “90% certain” he will be on the Dodgers’ roster after missing the National League Championship Series with an intercostal injury. Vesia threw 15 pitches during a live bullpen session on Wednesday. He pitched three scoreless innings in the NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres after posting a 1.76 ERA in 67 appearances during the regular season.

Additionally, Roberts said Brusdar Graterol is also “moving in the right direction.” Graterol missed most of the regular season due to shoulder and hamstring injuries, playing in only seven games. The right-hander has a 1.64 ERA in 22 career postseason games.

“It’s part of the math,” Roberts said of Graterol’s limited action this season. “I think the other part is his track record in the postseason, how good he’s been, how good the pulse has been. We believe in the person, the stuff.

“So if it plays out while he’s on the roster, then it’s more of a decision about when I feel comfortable using him. I just don’t know the answer, but I’m hopeful that he’s in a position now good location.”

ESPN’s Alden González contributed to this report.