The Los Angeles Dodgers pitching debut of Shohei Ohtani has finally arrived.
The Dodgers announced the two-way star will take the mound Monday, June 16 against the San Diego Padres. The announcement came shortly after Roberts told reporters there was a ‘high possibility’ that Ohtani pitched during the four-game series against the division rival, adding he would appear in an opener role for a bullpen game.
Ohtani’s return to the mound will be his first time pitching for the Dodgers since he signed with the team prior to the 2024 season. Ohtani last pitched for the Los Angeles Angels in August 2023, as he was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament. He had surgery that ended his 2023 season as he entered free agency. Ohtani signed with the Dodgers in December 2023, and spent the 2024 season as a designated hitter while he recovered from surgery.
Coming off his third MVP season as the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in one season, Ohtani began throwing to live hitters in recent weeks. However, his timeline remained fluid and he was expected to return around the All-Star break.
Prior to Sunday’s game against, Roberts said Ohtani would throw another simulated game in the coming week that was ‘potentially’ be his last one before returning to the mound. Ultimately the team decided to move up the comeback.
Ohtani’s return comes as the Los Angeles pitching staff has been decimated by injuries, primarily to their major stars. Starters Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell haven’t pitched since April, rookie Roki Sasaki hasn’t been on the mound since May and Tony Gonsolin went on the injured list earlier.
It also comes as the NL West has been a tight race. The Dodgers just won series against the Padres and San Francisco Giants, and at 43-29, are two games ahead of San Francisco and three games up on San Diego in the division.
The three-time MVP has a 3.01 ERA in 86 starts with a 38-19 record. His best pitching season came in 2022, when he went 15-9 with 2.33 ERA and a career-high 219 strikeouts. He finished fourth in Cy Young voting.
Shohei Ohtani pitching stats
2018: 4-2, 3.31 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 51 ⅔ innings pitched
2019: Did not pitch (injury)
2020: 0-1, 37.80 ERA and three strikeouts in 1 ⅔ innings pitched
2021: 9-2 with 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 130.1 innings pitched
2022: 15-9 with 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts in 166 innings pitched
2023: 10-5 with 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings pitched
2024: Did not pitch (injury)