Shohei Ohtani is expected to return to pitching this season, but his process of joining the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation was paused during Spring Training.
After throwing multiple bullpen sessions at Camelback Ranch, Ohtani was limited to playing catch from flat ground once he started playing in Cactus League games. He later explained that was planned due to an increase in intensity with preparing for the regular season.
Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior indicated Ohtani’s pitching progression would resume at some point after the team returned from the Tokyo Series, and that’s now scheduled to take place.
“He’s going to throw a ‘pen on Saturday,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Once he gets through the ‘pen on Saturday, we’ll have a better idea of what a plan looks like.”
Ohtani’s last bullpen session was Feb. 25. He pitched a total of four times off the mound during Dodgers Spring Training at Camelback Ranch.
Roberts had previously indicated Ohtani would join the Dodgers rotation around May, but it’s unclear if that remains feasible given the one-month pause between bullpen sessions.
There also is the reality of the Dodgers prioritizing Ohtani’s health and availability in the postseason over maximizing the number of starts he could potentially make throughout the year.
“Just appreciating it’s his second Tommy John, getting ready for a Major League season with the bat, with his left shoulder surgery, and really understanding this is a long-term play for Shohei also,” Roberts said.
“So making sure we’re as cautious and careful as we possibly can be. For 2025, the most important piece of this is having him be able to do both through the end of the season and through October.”
How many starts will Shohei Ohtani make?
Given that the Dodgers are not going to rush Ohtani through his progression, it’s plausible he only makes upwards of 20 starts as a pitcher this season.
“We would bank that right now,” Roberts said.
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