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The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that Shohei Ohtani will make his return to the big league mound on Monday night against the San Diego Padres. His return comes significantly earlier than many expected.
Last week, Dave Roberts revealed that there was a "north of zero" chance Ohtani pitches before the All-Star break. However, Ohtani's return in June was something nobody really expected. Roberts revealed why the Dodgers decided to move Ohtani's return up.
"He’s ready to pitch in a major-league game," Roberts said, according to the Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett. "He let us know that."
The Dodgers planned to have Ohtani throw live batting practice this week, but Roberts noted that Ohtani was "getting antsy" and urged the team to let him pitch a short outing in a real game. The Dodgers have a two-game lead in the National League West over the San Francisco Giants, who just acquired Rafael Devers.
"Just kind of talking to Mark (Prior) and Andrew (Friedman) and the doctors and medical (staff) and (Ohtani) just kind of saying, 'Okay, we’ve done the three-inning live, it’s a little taxing or more taxing on my body.'"
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The Dodgers' pitching staff is decimated by injuries, and getting Ohtani on the mound would be huge. He has not pitched in a big league game since 2023, and underwent elbow surgery that year as well. Ohtani is expected to pitch just one inning, according to The Athletic, but it is a huge step in getting him in the rotation for the rest of the season.
Ohtani has a 3.01 career ERA in Major League Baseball and finished fourth in the American League Cy Young Award race in 2022. Ohtani reportedly touched 97 mph during his three-inning simulated game at the end of May.
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