For the first time since Shohei Ohtani put on a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform, it finally feels like his return to pitching is close.
On Tuesday, Ohtani took a major step in his recovery, throwing a three inning simulated game against minor leaguers at Petco Park ahead of the Dodgers’ second game of their series against the San Diego Padres.
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Ohtani threw 44 pitches, generating 15 whiffs and six strikeouts. He looked really sharp, impressing both Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and pitching coach Mark Prior.
After the session, Roberts spoke to reporters, and provided a new optimistic timeline on Ohtani’s return to the mound.
Roberts said there was a “north of zero” chance Ohtani makes his 2025 pitching debut before the All-Star break.
Before Tuesday, the Dodgers have intimated Ohtani won’t pitch until after the All-Star break at the earliest. Now, it sounds like he could be back by early July if things continue to trend in the right direction.
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The Dodgers are in desperate need of pitching help as they currently have 14 pitchers on the injured list, including three members of the Opening Day rotation in Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki.
Moreover, Tony Gonsolin, who returned in late April, was just placed on the IL with an elbow injury that will sideline him for the foreseeable future.
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The Dodgers would love to have Ohtani giving them at least five innings once a week, but at the same time, have no interest in rushing him back to the mound following 2023 surgery to repair a torn UCL and 2024 offseason surgery on his shoulder.
The Dodgers have said their pitching injuries have no impact on Ohtani’s timeline, and to this point, they’ve stuck to it.
“I think Shohei is separate as far as the process,” Roberts said last month when asked about bringing Ohtani back to help their depleted rotation. “I think it was (GM Brandon Gomes) who said it yesterday maybe — it’s a week-to-week thing and I just don’t really know. But the availability of the other pitchers has no bearing on Shohei’s program.”
Based on the latest update, though, it sounds like Ohtani could be back on the mound sooner rather than later.
That will be a huge boost to a Dodgers team that is fighting to remain atop the National League West with a patchwork rotation.
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