Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is a generational talent and a global icon of the sport. He made the big-money move to the Dodgers during the 2023 season, and the rest is history. In his first full season with the ballclub, Ohtani started the new 50-50 Club, won the MVP honors for a second year running, and led the team to an eighth World Series title in their franchise history.
The two-way talent can do no wrong. Ohtani has continued his mighty form at the plate in the current campaign and looks set to take home yet another MVP honor. While his hitting display has been extraordinary, the two-way ace is yet to showcase his class on the mound with the defending champions.
Ohtani underwent a surgical procedure on his right shoulder in 2023 and didn’t pitch for the entirety of the 2024 MLB season. Now, the designated hitter is making slow and steady strides towards an effective return to the mound, but his exact pitching timeline still remains a mystery.
Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts Reflects on Ohtani’s Pitching Comeback
AM 570 LA Sports reporter David Vassegh had a conversation with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, during which he asked Roberts about his take on Ohtani’s possible pitching comeback this season, especially with the amount of injuries in the bullpen that the defending champions are dealing with since the start of the campaign.
Roberts responded, “You know, the short answer is no. I think that Shohei, Dr. Alatras, and the training staff are all driving this sort of ramp-up progression. I think it’s separate; it’s a separate issue, and I think that, you know, one part of it, or I guess the main part of it, is his value to us as a hitter as it is, as it stands, is so valuable, right?”
He further added, “And so to try to speed something up to take on some type of downside just doesn’t make sense. So I do think that we are being very methodical about it. I can safely say he’s probably not going to pitch for us until after the break, but I don’t think that the injuries that we’ve had are going to speed up his process.”
Ohtani is Projecting Positive Numbers on the Offense in 2025
Ohtani has continued from where he left off last season. He currently has a .295 batting average, with 19 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a 1.039 OPS in 52 games played so far in the campaign. He has racked up 62 hits in 210 at-bats, which include 13 extra base hits. The Japanese phenom is used to have over 55 home runs and more than 95 RBIs in 2025.
The Dodgers are 33-21 for the campaign, sitting atop the NL West standings. They are currently playing a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians and took the series opener 7-2 on Monday night.
