LOS ANGELES — On Saturday, Shohei Ohtani took a significant step in his return to pitching by completing his first bullpen session in a month. The current National League MVP still has strides to take before returning to the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ohtani threw over 20 pitches during his bullpen session at Dodger Stadium, following long toss exercises in the outfield. Meanwhile, he assumed his usual role as the leadoff batter in the Dodgers’ lineup, serving as the designated hitter for their series finale against the Detroit Tigers.
The last time Ohtani pitched from a mound was on February 25th. He had temporarily halted his spring training pitching duties to focus on his responsibilities as a hitter for the regular season. Despite this, he maintained a regular throwing regimen on flat ground throughout the following month.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed earlier expectations that Ohtani might make his pitching debut for the Dodgers by May. However, on Saturday, Roberts acknowledged there is no set schedule for this return.
“It’s going to be a while,” Roberts stated. “You have to start with the natural progression of a bullpen session, then incorporate different pitches to face hitters again. So, there’s no exact timeline. I don’t think anyone has one, but it’s still a ways off.”
Ohtani’s last pitching appearance in a major league game came before undergoing surgery on his right elbow in September 2023 during his final month with the Los Angeles Angels. He then had additional surgery on his left shoulder last November. Remarkably, he made MLB history with the first-ever 50-home run, 50-stolen-base season, playing a crucial role in securing a World Series win for the Dodgers.
Currently, the Dodgers can afford to be patient with Ohtani, who is in the second year of a 10-year, $700 million contract. This season, he has already made a strong impact with two home runs among six hits, achieving an impressive .1,286 OPS in the initial four games.
The Dodgers possess a robust pitching staff, featuring Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki alongside Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Dustin May. However, the team’s recent history of injuries to starting pitchers makes Ohtani’s return significant, allowing them to possibly implement a six-man rotation without impacting the roster slot as a pitcher.
“We’re undoubtedly a strong team with him as a DH,” Roberts remarked. “We are eager for him to pitch; he’s keen to pitch and has managed it before. The real question is, ‘How urgently do we need him right now?’ The answer is clear: His health is crucial. Once he completes his buildup process, he’ll be ready to pitch for us.”