Good news for Dodgers fans as Shohei Ohtani continues recovery

The Los Angeles Dodgers may be preparing to welcome back Shohei Ohtani to the pitchers rotation, 18 months after he underwent right elbow surgery.

The two-way star has not thrown a single pitch since joining the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 MLB season. But this offseason he has began his long-awaited pitching ramp-up and returned to the bullpen on Saturday for a second session.

This time, ESPN reports, Ohtani threw 26 pitches and even introduced splitters into the session. Speaking to reporters after the session, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts described the progress as “positive”.

“It’s a week, but then there’s also the one in between, where he touches the mound on a Thursday,” Roberts said. “And I think it’s just more trying to keep him on a similar seven-day program, and what the schedule would look going out, and build from there.”

When will Shohei Ohtani pitch again?

The Japanese superstar returned to the mound for his first bullpen session on March 29 and he’s clearly taking it easy on his return to pitching duties. When Ohtani is back in contention, the Dodgers look set to use a six-man rotation to take advantage of Ohtani’s two-way abilities.

Earlier this year Roberts was asked when he hoped to have Ohtani back as a pitcher and revealed that a May return could be possible, if not sooner.

“It might be earlier,” Roberts said back in February, “but I think that the first thing I said earlier this offseason was it wasn’t going to be in the Japan Series... Once he gets to Spring Training and we see where the throwing program is, I think we’ll just go from there.”

For now, Ohtani still has work to do to convince his coaches that he’s ready to return to the pitcher’s mound. He’s still yet to face live hitters and needs to add more variety into his pitching practice. Once he’s able to incorporate his entire pitch mix and throw 30+ pitches in bullpen sessions, Roberts will be eager to get Ohtani into the rotation.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.