Shohei Ohtani Completes Another Successful Bullpen Session, Still Building Toward Dodgers’ Rotation Return
Ahead of Saturday’s 7-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers, Shohei Ohtani was back pitching off a mound at Dodger Stadium as the three-time MVP winner resumed his build-up as a starting pitcher.
It was Ohtani’s first bullpen session since Feb. 25 after he paused his throwing progression midway through spring training to focus on ramping up at the plate, but he had been throwing off flat ground over the past month to keep his arm active.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way phenom threw 20 pitches – all fastballs – Saturday, up from his 14-pitch session near the start of camp.
Manager Dave Roberts stated during spring training that Ohtani could rejoin the club’s starting rotation at some point in May. Since then, however, he’s been far less committal when asked about a potential timeline for the 30-year-old’s return as a pitcher.
“I think you start with the natural progression of a bullpen [session],” Roberts told reporters Sunday, including MLB.com’s Sonja Chen. “You’ve got to kind of mix in different pitches to then face hitters again. It’s a start. I don’t have a timeline; I don’t think anyone does. We’re a ways away.”
Ohtani underwent his second major elbow procedure in September 2023 and played last season exclusively as a hitter. But he still enjoyed an historic performance, recording baseball’s first-ever 50-50 season (home runs-stolen bases).
On top of rehabbing his right elbow, the reigning NL MVP winner underwent surgery on his left shoulder last November to repair a torn labrum suffered on a stolen base attempt during the World Series, which delayed his off-season progression.
It’s had zero impact on his impressive start to 2025 as a hitter, though, as the left-handed-hitting slugger has already hit two home runs amidst a 6-for-18 (.333) start to the campaign through five games, with the first two taking place in his home country of Japan as part of MLB’s Global series.
The Dodgers hope to gain additional clarity regarding Ohtani’s recovery timeline on the mound once he begins to face live hitters and pitch in simulated games, as Roberts said. But there’s no rush to have him resume his pitching duties as soon as possible. The team can cover his innings just fine in the meantime.
“I think the question is how much do we need him right now and I think we’ve answered that,” he added. “His health is paramount, most important. So whenever that time is and his build-up reaches its full maturation, he’ll pitch for us.”
Los Angeles’ top priority is ensuring Ohtani is 100 percent ready to defend the franchise’s World Series trophy in October – both as a hitter and pitcher. They want him to pitch this season, but they can afford to take their time with his throwing progression, given the immense starting pitching depth at their disposal.
Even without Ohtani, the Dodgers currently feature a starting rotation of Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow and Dustin May. That group will likely pivot to a six-man staff once Tony Gonsolin (back) returns from injury.
Clayton Kershaw (knee/toe surgery) and Emmet Sheehan (Tommy John surgery) are also expected to return down the road in ‘25, further adding to the club’s rotation options. And that’s before including the likes of Landon Knack, Bobby Miller, Justin Wrobleski and Nick Frasso in the organization’s pipeline.
Having Ohtani pitch for the Dodgers – who’re coming off a series sweep of the Tigers, sitting at 5-0 to begin the new season – is more of a luxury than a necessity for a team looking to become the first repeat champions since the 1998-99 New York Yankees.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.