"Several teams have experimented with a six-man rotation over the years, and it's virtually a requirement for the Dodgers thanks to the presence of Shohei Ohtani and his unique needs as a two-way player. It's become increasingly common for teams aside from the one that employs Ohtani, however. MLB.com's Mike Petriello wrote prior to the 2025 campaign that starts on five days of rest have become more common than the traditional four days of rest associated with a standard five-man rotation."
"Of course, a start can happen on five days of rest for more reasons than the use of a six-man rotation. A team's off-days, the deployment of bullpen games, and even something like a starter returning from the IL or being promoted from the minors can push a pitcher's regularly scheduled start back organically without there being a long-term plan to use a six-man rotation. Regardless of how it's done, extra rest for pitchers can generally only be a good thing."
The five-man rotation has been MLB standard for over 50 years, but teams increasingly use six-man rotations or schedule starts on five days of rest. Shohei Ohtani's two-way role makes a six-man rotation effectively required for the Dodgers. Off-days, bullpen games, injured-list returns, and promotions can create five-day rest starts without a formal six-man plan. Extra rest generally helps pitchers perform better and go deeper into games, mirrors Nippon Professional Baseball schedules for some players, and may reduce injuries and late-season fatigue. Downsides include fewer starts from top pitchers, difficulty finding six quality starters, and strain on a 13-man pitching roster.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]