Shohei Ohtani’s return to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup Monday, Sept. 7 wasn’t exactly a return to form just yet for the back-to-back National League MVP.
Back in his usual spot atop the batting order, Ohtani went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk in a 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Results aside, however, manager Dave Roberts was pleased with how Ohtani’s swing looked compared to five days ago.
But as far as when Ohtani might return to the mound for the defending World Series champions, that news was rather bleak. Ohtani told reporters postgame that he doesn’t expect to pitch again this season.
“Most likely no,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton when asked if he’s still working towards getting back on the mound. “I’m gonna be focusing on hitting moving forward.”
Ohtani has not pitched in a game since July 3 due to lingering injuries in his left knee and right bicep.
His progression was initially put on pause when his scheduled bullpen session on July 25 was postponed, and it didn’t pick back up again until Aug. 8. From there, he ramped up throughout the month of August and faced live hitters on Aug. 22, but he was shut down again after a short bullpen session one week later.
Ohtani has not thrown since, and a prolonged slump at the plate prompted manager Dave Roberts to rest the Japanese phenom for four games over the weekend.
And in what might be a move to lighten Ohtani’s workload with October less than a month away and with the Dodgers boasting a mostly healthy rotation, Roberts mentioned they’ve “put a pin on throwing.”
“It’s not dead, but we’re not throwing,” Roberts said. “We have no timetable for when he’s gonna pick up a baseball.”
The Dodgers skipper stopped short of outright saying Ohtani won’t pitch again in 2026, but given where we are in the calendar, that in itself is a strong indication of where things are headed.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shohei Ohtani ‘focusing on hitting,’ unlikely to pitch again in 2026
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