LOS ANGELES— Prior to yesterday’s game, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that three-time Most Valuable Player Award winner Shohei Ohtani took another massive step forward in his throwing program as the righty inches closer to a return to the mound.
Ohtani, 30, has not pitched on a Major League mound since August of the 2022 season, his final year with the Los Angeles Angels. After that season, the then-two-time MVP award winner underwent his second career Tommy John surgery, keeping him off the mound for the entire 2024 season.
Entering his second season with the Dodgers, Ohtani was set to return to two-way player status, throwing off a mound in spring training, before ultimately being shut down to focus on preparing for the season as a hitter.
Ohtani resumed his throwing program when the team returned to the United States after opening up the 2025 Major League Baseball season in Tokyo, Japan, at the famous Tokyo Dome.
However, while Ohtani has continued to throw off flat ground and the mound, the righty has exclusively thrown fastballs and splitters, but that all changed yesterday.
According to Roberts, Ohtani incorporated off-speed pitches into his flat-ground session, another sign that he is closer to facing hitters; however, that date is still undecided.
Ohtani and Roberts each stated that Ohtani will not face hitters until the two-way player is able to throw his entire pitch mix in his bullpen sessions, which have averaged around thirty pitches per session.
The next step for Ohtani will be to face hitters and continue to be built up as a starter for their rotation, which is desperate for arms due to injuries to Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, and Roki Sasaki.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reported earlier this month that the Dodgers are planning to hold back using Ohtani on the mound until after the 2025 All-Star break, believing there is no sense of urgency to add him while he puts up MVP numbers at the plate.
The rumor seems likely true as we inch closer to June. Ohtani has yet to step on a mound in front of hitters, and since he has not pitched in nearly two seasons, he’ll need around a full month to get ramped up.
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