
Shohei Ohtani is returning to the mound. Ohtani will pitch on Monday, serving as the Dodgers starter against the Padres for his first pitching appearance since 2023. Ohtani, who had elbow surgery nearly two years ago, will pitch as an opener, per manager Dave Roberts. He recently threw 44 pitches in a simulated game.
“He’s ready to pitch in a big-league game,” Roberts told reporters Sunday night. “He let us know.”
Ohtani won National League MVP honors and was part of the World Series championship lineup last season, but Monday will mark the two-way superstar’s first pitching appearance with the Dodgers. The last time Ohtani pitched, 2023 for the Angels, he went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings. His last appearance on the mound was Aug. 23, 2023 — 664 days before Monday.
Ohtani has a 3.01 ERA (142 ERA+) and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings in his MLB pitching career.
It doesn’t sound like Ohtani would be fully stretched out as a starter just yet, but remember that he’s in a special circumstance. It’s unclear exactly what kind of pitch limit Ohtani will have, but he’s unlikely to throw too deep into Monday’s game.
Every other starting pitcher returning from major injury takes a minor-league rehab assignment, sometimes making starts in lower levels for up to a month. With Ohtani, the Dodgers need his bat in the lineup, so he’s sticking with the MLB team and trying to rehab his pitching while also playing as a designated hitter.
On the offensive end, he’s doing Ohtani things yet again. He’s hitting .290/.385/.638 (185 OPS+) with 11 doubles, five triples, 25 homers, 41 RBI, 71 runs and 11 stolen bases (-550 as MVP favorite, per BetMGM).
Even if Ohtani isn’t full go as a starting pitcher, they could sure use his work. The Dodgers have been absolutely ravaged by pitching injuries and currently have eight starters and six relievers on the injured list. Another bonus is that Ohtani is already occupying a roster spot, so the Dodgers would essentially be adding an extra pitcher without having to demote another to the minors to make room for him.
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