Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ superstar, is set to resume his pitching progression with a bullpen session on Saturday, marking his first throwing session since February 25. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed this development on Monday, providing an update on Ohtani’s return to the mound.
Los Angeles Dodgers Cautious With Shohei Ohtani Recovery
Earlier in March, Roberts explained the rationale behind the Dodgers’ and Ohtani’s decision to temporarily halt his throwing program.
“We just felt that to intensify the bullpens alongside of the intensity of the games (as DH) wasn’t smart, so we just wanted to kind of slow-play it,” Roberts stated. Ohtani himself corroborated this, emphasizing that the pause was a strategic choice rather than a response to any setbacks.
“I wanted to prioritize the hitting aspect as we’re getting into the season, to get a little breather mentally and physically on the pitching side of things,” Ohtani said through his interpreter during the Tokyo Series. “This is according to plan, and I’m quite pleased with how things are going.”
While the team has not established a definitive timeline for Ohtani’s pitching debut in 2025, they remain optimistic that he will take the mound early in the season.
Saturday’s bullpen session represents a crucial step in this process. The Dodgers are navigating uncharted territory with Ohtani’s unique two-way role. Dodgers’ pitching coach Mark Prior acknowledged the inherent complexities of this situation.
“It’s been one of those things where … we’re having to lean on him a lot,” Prior said. “We don’t really have this template or road map or even experience really dealing with a guy with a two-way situation. So we’re leaning on him, on how he’s feeling. I know they’re trying to control overall workload management with his left shoulder, coming back from that (surgery). The hitting, getting ready for the season – clearly, he’s an important part of our offensive side of the ball.”