Shohei Ohtani’s path back to the mound has turned into a waiting game, and the Dodgers are still trying to figure out how much pitching they can get without upsetting the rest of his game.
Ohtani had already made 14 starts before left knee soreness knocked him out of the rotation indefinitely. Right biceps discomfort added another layer to the problem, and those issues helped push back his return. He had been trending toward a start this past Sunday against the Detroit Tigers, but that possibility slipped away because he was not in strong enough overall physical condition.
Even so, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the club still views any pitching contribution from Ohtani as worth pursuing, and that he will keep working through a throwing program, according to Jack Harris of the California Post. Friedman said Tuesday that the Dodgers still hope to have the 32-year-old available to pitch in the playoffs, even if the role is limited.
“I think anything he can do is very additive and very helpful,” Friedman said.
The Dodgers are also weighing how Ohtani’s pitching buildup might affect his bat. Since he began bullpen sessions, his offense has dipped a bit, and manager Dave Roberts said the team won’t force the issue if pitching work starts to drag down his production at the plate.
Friedman has said before that the organization won’t choose one side of Ohtani’s game over the other, stressing that both his pitching and hitting matter equally to the team’s success.
For now, Ohtani has not suggested that the injuries are hurting his hitting, even with the recent offensive downturn.
There still hasn’t been much change on the health front since he was unable to return to pitching in the finale at Comerica Park. Roberts said this week will be important as the Dodgers sort out the next step.
“You know, I don’t right now. I do stand by nothing’s going to happen until potentially Sunday,” Roberts said on Tuesday. “But I do think that there’s going to be a conversation that needs to be had this week about what the outlook is, and we haven’t had it yet.”
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