Shohei Ohtani has won a World Series and an MVP award in his Los Angeles Dodgers career, but he has yet to throw a pitch from an MLB mound. That’s about to change.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters after Sunday’s game that Ohtani would “most likely” make his return to pitching by opening a game against the San Diego Padres this week. Minutes later, the Dodgers announced that Ohtani would start the series opener on Monday.
When he takes the mound, it will be Ohtani’s first time pitching in an MLB game since Aug. 23, 2023, back when he was with the Los Angeles Angels. However long he pitches, he will be allowed to remain in the game as a designated hitter afterward, via a rule designed to help two-way stars like him.
From Roberts:
“Shohei’s getting antsy, which is a good thing for us … I don’t know if it’s going to be one or two innings, but my guess is probably an inning to start. The live simulated whatever has sort of run its course, so he’s ready to make his debut on the mound.”
Earlier that afternoon, Roberts seemed to indicate that an Ohtani return could be near while speaking with reporters ahead of a 5-4 L.A. win over the San Francisco Giants. Roberts announced that Ohtani would be throwing to live hitters early next week, then was asked if that would be his final step before making a full return to the mound.
The first and most important word of Roberts’ answer: “Potentially.”
His full response:
“Potentially. He’s getting very eager, getting very exited. I think that there’s a point in hearing from Shohei that the effort that it takes to throw live and play a game, let’s use those bullets in a game. So he’s getting very excited.”
Ohtani was expected to be a hitter only in his first season with the Dodgers, but the team hoped he could resume the two-way responsibilities that made him a superstar by Opening Day of this year. That obviously hasn’t happened, as a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder sustained in the 2024 World Series threw off his offseason rehab timetable.
The Dodgers have been as hazy as possible when it comes to Ohtani’s current timetable, though it has been well established that he won’t be going on a rehab assignment because his bat is too valuable to the big-league team. Instead of a rehab assignment, it appears the Dodgers will be giving Ohtani an increasing number of innings as he stretches out to full workload.
It has been a chaotic time in general for the Dodgers’ rotation, which is currently without Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and many more. Glasnow and Snell could both be a month away, while Roberts said Sunday that Sasaki has been shut down from throwing, with no timetable for a return.
When asked if Sasaki, currently on the IL due to a right shoulder impingement, is no longer in the team’s long-term plans for 2025, Roberts answered in the affirmative.
The rotation is at least set to get a boost soon, as Emmet Sheehan, out since spring training of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery, is currently finishing a rehab assignment. Roberts said there is a “very high likelihood” of him getting activated to fill a rotation hole on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
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