🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
The last time Shohei Ohtani pitched in a major league game was Aug. 23, 2023. Ohtani pitched just 1 1/3 innings and threw 26 pitches before being removed from the game due to an injury.
That injury ultimately led to Ohtani undergoing Tommy John surgery and not being able to pitch at all last season — and so far, not yet this season either. That is expected to change soon, and it should not be long before Ohtani is back on the mound.
Elsa/Getty Images
ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez reported late Tuesday night that Ohtani is expected to join the Los Angeles rotation next month, with manager Dave Roberts saying the chances of Ohtani pitching prior to the All-Star break are “north of zero.”
Ohtani is not expected to be fully ramped up for 75-90 pitches as soon as he returns, but he will be able to provide multiple-inning outings for a Dodgers rotation that is struggling to find innings.
“It certainly doesn’t have to be a full buildup,” Roberts told reporters, “because anything that he can give us is certainly additive.”
Ohtani has thrown three simulated games over the past two weeks, with one in New York, one in Los Angeles and one in San Diego. He will continue to do so each and every week before he is officially ready to return to the mound.
With a career 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts across 86 starts and 481 2/3 innings pitched, Ohtani’s return to the mound will not only show if he is still as dominant of a pitcher as he once was but also boost his chances of winning a third consecutive MVP.
If he is able to continue to produce offensively and maintain an ERA somewhere between 3.40 and 3.60, Ohtani may very well win the NL MVP award every single year until he retires.
More MLB: Phillies Predicted to Cut Ties With Breakout Rookie After Ugly Start