Shohei Ohtani was named the unanimous 2024 National League Most Valuable Player in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but even with his elite production, that was only half of his game.
Along with his game-changing offensive abilities, Ohtani is also a Cy Young caliber pitcher. However, he was unable to pitch the entire 2024 season after undergoing elbow surgery in late 2023.
Ohtani was rehabbing throughout the year, and he made a good amount of progress that included throwing bullpen sessions. That progress was then put to a halt when he underwent left shoulder surgery to repair a labrum tear he suffered in World Series Game 2.
The good news is Ohtani injured his left shoulder, which is not his lead shoulder in his swing or his throwing shoulder, so that should allow for a quicker recovery.
The Dodgers officially kick off their season with the Tokyo Series on March 20-21, and Ohtani should be ready to play as the designated hitter.
“I expect Shohei to be ready to hit in Japan,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I don’t think he’d have it any other way. That’s our expectation.
“It’s not cemented. If something doesn’t look right, feel right, obviously we’ve got to pivot. Maybe a lot of disappointed fans. We’re going to do what’s best for Shohei.
“But where we stand right now, I expect him to play.”
Unfortunately, his offseason shoulder surgery is limiting his ability to rehab his right arm, and that is all but going to delay him from pitching to begin the year.
In addition, the Dodgers also have to consider Ohtani’s workload as they don’t want to push him too much as he returns from a second career elbow surgery.
Adding those things together, it’s almost a certainty Ohtani won’t pitch in Japan.
“Very unlikely,” Roberts said. “I just don’t see us starting the clock in March to then think that we would keep that continuously going through October.
“Then that would call for a break or reprieve in the middle of the season. So I don’t know, I still think unlikely.”
When Ohtani does return to the mound, he will provide the Dodgers with another ace to an already talented rotation as the right-hander owns a career 3.01 ERA in 481.2 innings with a 31.2% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate.
Dodgers rotation options without Shohei Ohtani
The Dodgers currently have a rotation that includes Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Bobby Miller, Justin Wrobleski and Landon Knack with Clayton Kershaw returning as well.
They are expected to add at least one more starting pitcher before the offseason ends, and they’ve remained the favorites to sign Roki Sasaki.
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