Shohei Ohtani is moving closer to getting back on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Friday’s bullpen session was the clearest sign yet that his return is gaining traction.
The two-way star had been sidelined by ongoing knee and biceps injuries, which knocked him out of his pitching role and kept him from throwing since July 3. The absence even cost him a spot in the All-Star Game. But the Dodgers have kept saying the same thing throughout the recovery process: Ohtani would pitch again this season.
That belief got a boost Friday when Ohtani threw a bullpen session for the first time since July 22, when he hit a setback in his comeback attempt. He worked through his full pitch mix and logged 34 pitches, a meaningful step in the ramp-up.
The next stage is straightforward. Ohtani is expected to get in a few more bullpen sessions before moving on to live hitters. That’s the same sort of progression he followed last year while working back from elbow surgery.
For now, the Dodgers appear likely to handle him as an opener instead of stretching him out as a full-time starter. Given the timing and the team’s goal of keeping him healthy for October, that approach makes sense. Even in a shorter role, Ohtani would still give Los Angeles a real lift in the stretch run.
"I think that then you start to think about who the guys that he essentially would open for, and that sort of shortens the list," Roberts said. "But I do think that for Shohei, knowing that any inning is additive is important, and it was a formula that worked."
The Dodgers have felt his absence in the rotation. Before the injuries slowed him down, Ohtani was in the middle of a remarkable season on the mound, posting a 1.79 ERA over 14 starts.
At the plate, though, he has kept rolling. Ohtani has stayed in the lineup and continued his push for another MVP, hitting .289 with 27 home runs and 75 RBIs while carrying a .931 OPS.
There’s no official timetable for his return to pitching, but the expectation is that he could be back in early September. If that happens, it would leave room for him to build toward roughly three or four starts before the postseason.
In Other News...
Dave Roberts Just Sent A Concerning Message About The Dodgers Lineup
The Dodgers offense has spent the past several weeks looking far too ordinary for a group built to be one of baseballs most dangerous lineups, and the numbers have reflected it. Since June, Los Angeles has lagged in runs scored, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, a stretch that has left manager Dave Roberts searching for cleaner at-bats and a sharper overall approach from his club.
Roberts has pointed to a breakdown in plate discipline and focus, along with an inability to adjust as opposing pitchers have leaned more heavily on fastballs. Even with the team trying to create a greater sense of urgency, the slump has lingered, and the bigger concern is that the Dodgers still have not shown the kind of consistent offensive rhythm that usually separates their lineup from the rest of the league. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Tucker's Dodgers Struggles Have Reached An Uncomfortable New Level
Kyle Tuckers first season-long stretch of discomfort in a Dodgers uniform has started to look bigger than a simple slump. Offensively, he has been stuck at .230, and the defensive numbers have been just as uneasy, a combination that has left his overall value in an awkward spot for a team that expected steadier production from a player of his caliber.
The recent look on the field has only sharpened the concern, with Tucker carrying a hitless run and the gloveside mistakes piling up at the worst possible time. Even the conversation around him has moved beyond patience and into possible fixes, which says plenty about how unusual this phase has become for a player the Dodgers were counting on to settle things down. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Are Walking A Fine Line With Shohei Ohtani Right Now
Shohei Ohtanis role with the Dodgers has already become a balancing act, and the latest twist only sharpens it. Los Angeles is treating his two-way workload with extra care after a recent stretch in which the club has made it clear it values both his pitching and his hitting, with president Andrew Friedman saying the team will keep adjusting based on how he is feeling.
Manager Dave Roberts has framed the situation as one built on communication and trust, which is part of why the Dodgers have resisted a more formal roster move. For now, the team is waiting on Ohtani to tell them when he needs a break, a setup that works fine when he is healthy and gets a lot trickier when any discomfort lingers. [Read more 🡒]