Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani return to pitching is closer than ever with huge announcement

The baseball world's wait is almost over.

Shohei Ohtani is closer than ever returning to a Major League Baseball mound for a live game. The latest news out of the Los Angeles Dodgers tells us Ohtani is continuing to progress in his return from Tommy John surgery.

On Friday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani will throw live on the mound to big-league hitters on Saturday at Citi Field.

Roberts said everyone is "anxious" to see how Ohtani does.

Ohtani last pitched in the majors in August 2023 with the Angels.

His surgery kept him off the mound for the entirety of his first season with the Dodgers. Focused solely on being a DH, Ohtani had the first 50-50 season in MLB history.

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He's been special as a hitter again this season while taking time every day to slowly build back up so he can pitch again, too.

Ohtani started with just fastballs, then worked in his splitter, then breaking stuff. And now, with live action against hitters, Ohtani is one step closer.

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The Dodgers will eventually have to decide how Ohtani will rehab in live game action. Will they send him to the minors like a traditional rehab assignment while losing his bat in the big league lineup? That seems pretty unlikely.

But that's a good question to start having, because it means Ohtani is closer than ever to being a two-way superstar once again.

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