Shohei Ohtani took another step toward a return to the mound on Friday, throwing a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium as the Dodgers continue to map out his pitching comeback.
It was Ohtani’s first bullpen work since July 22 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. He has been ramping up his throwing over the past week, and the session came about three hours before the Dodgers faced the Milwaukee Brewers.
Ohtani last pitched in a game on July 3 in San Diego and has been out since then with left knee inflammation. The Dodgers still haven’t set a hard timetable for when he’ll pitch again, in part because he’s remained in the lineup as the team’s designated hitter. Still, general manager Brandon Gomes said he believes Ohtani could get back on a big-league mound before the regular season ends.
“A lot of it, we just need to take our time and see if he comes in feeling good tomorrow, and then OK, what’s the next step?” Gomes told The Athletic following Ohtani’s bullpen session. “A lot of it is just how he’s bouncing back, and do we think it’s prudent to keep progressing?”
After Friday night’s game, manager Dave Roberts said he was encouraged by the 35-pitch bullpen and outlined what still needs to happen before Ohtani can return to pitching in a game. Roberts said Ohtani will need at least one more bullpen session, possibly two, and then must face hitters in a simulated game at least twice.
The Dodgers are also open to easing him back in gradually. Roberts said Ohtani could start even if he’s limited to one inning at first, similar to the way he was brought along in his return last June.
“You start to think about who the guys that he essentially would open for, and that sort of shortens the list,” Roberts said of Ohtani. “For Shohei, knowing that any inning is additive is important, and it was a formula that worked.”
Ohtani’s value on the mound has been especially important because, as a two-way player, he doesn’t count against the active roster limit of 13 pitchers. Any outs he records would be outs the bullpen doesn’t have to cover, without costing the Dodgers an extra roster spot.
The Dodgers have missed that impact since Ohtani last pitched on July 3, and Roberts said the bullpen has felt the strain.
“We’ve missed [Ohtani], but also he was built up to six, seven innings, so you have a guy that’s additive innings and you’re getting zero, and have gotten for the last six, seven weeks,” Roberts said. “Then you have the guys we feel we have to give them their rest, to do what they’re used to doing. You know, there’s a cost to doing business sometimes.”
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