Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday that surgery is "not on the table" for Shohei Ohtani this offseason, with doctors prescribing only rest for his left knee and right biceps injuries.

"I fully expect him to pitch next year," Friedman told reporters at Dodger Stadium. "I not only expect him to pitch, we're excited about him pitching."

Ohtani had said on Oct. 16 that he was unsure whether surgery would be needed and would decide after offseason discussions with the club.

Ohtani pitched like an ace while healthy, going 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA, 95 strikeouts and 26 walks in 85⅔ innings over 14 starts.

But he last pitched on July 3 against the Padres, when left knee inflammation set in, followed by a right biceps flare-up and neck discomfort that Friedman described as a game of "whack-a-mole." He was not placed on the injured list until Sept.

11, his first IL stint as a Dodger.

The injuries bled into Ohtani's hitting. After returning from the IL on Sept.

23, he went 5 for 21 with eight strikeouts in five regular-season games, then hit 5 for 26 with 10 strikeouts in the postseason.

According to CBS Sports, Ohtani hit .167/.298/.240 with one home run over his final 26 games including the playoffs, with his only late homer coming in Game 4 of the NLCS against Milwaukee, which swept the defending champions.

Friedman acknowledged the challenge is unprecedented: "We don't have any experience to draw from," he said, adding the Dodgers must figure out how to manage a long season so Ohtani is at his best in October.

The organization clearly values his pitching — he has a career 2.83 ERA across 114 regular-season starts — and Ohtani himself said he is "looking forward to having a better season next year."

CBS Sports outlines three options: let Ohtani pitch a full season in the club's six-man rotation; delay his mound debut until roughly June while he keeps hitting; or use him as a reliever, a role complicated by his lineup duties and the DH rules.

CBS argues a delayed start is the best approach, though the gap between 15 and 23 starts could decide whether Los Angeles earns a Wild Card Series bye. A deep rotation behind Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow and Sasaki gives the Dodgers flexibility either way.

Friedman said there will be no changes to Dave Roberts' coaching staff and called it "business as usual" with owner Mark Walter.

The bigger offseason questions include Tarik Skubal's pending free agency and key relievers Alex Vesia and Evan Phillips, plus how to inject youth into baseball's oldest position player group.

ESPN reports the organization also believes Ohtani must be more forthcoming about ailments for the plan to work.