The Los Angeles Dodgers expect to see Shohei Ohtani at the height of his two-way prowess this season, but when that will come to be remains unclear.
In January, manager Dave Roberts suggested Ohtani could begin pitching this season around the start of May. Early into Spring Training camp, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the team would utilize a five-man rotation for at least the first month of the season.
While Ohtani started throwing bullpen sessions during some workouts at Camelback Ranch, he hasn’t done so since Feb. 25.
According to Sonja Chen of MLB.com, Roberts explained the Dodgers have provided Ohtani with a break from his pitching routine due to getting into Cactus League games as a designated hitter to prepare for the Tokyo Series:
“As the game has intensified, his work playing in games, it was sort of trying to give him a little respite from the rehab and to slow him down,” Roberts said. “We’ve never really put a time on anything. … We just felt that to intensify the bullpens alongside the intensity of the games wasn’t smart, so we just wanted to kind of slow-play it.”
Ohtani still has not taken the mound since having a second right elbow surgery in September 2023, and it stands to reason an offseason operation to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder also is a factor in the Dodgers’ planning.
Ohtani has thrown four bullpen sessions during Spring Training thus far. They’ve included pitching out of the windup, which is going to represent a first for the right-hander if it carries into the season.
What’s next for Shohei Ohtani?
With the break in Ohtani’s throwing program, he’s officially ruled out from potentially facing batters before the end of camp on Wednesday. That was a slim possibility anyhow, and the Dodgers had already said Ohtani was not going to pitch in a Cactus League game.
Ohtani likely won’t advance to facing batters until after the Dodgers return from playing the Tokyo Series. It’s not yet clear if that will delay his 2025 pitching debut to past the initial projection of May.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
