Cody Snavely
LOS ANGELES—With the Los Angeles Dodgers back in the States full-time, two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has begun ramping up his throwing program to return to the Dodgers’ starting rotation this season.
This past Saturday, during the Dodgers’ home opening series against the Detroit Tigers, Ohtani threw his first bullpen session since February 25th. He had previously shut down his buildup as a pitcher to focus on his buildup as a hitter.
According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts earlier this week, the first bullpen session went well, with Ohtani throwing twenty-five pitches, all fastballs.
Prior to tonight’s Game Two against the Atlanta Braves, Roberts confirmed that Ohtani would throw yet another light bullpen session tomorrow during the Dodgers series finale and a heavier one on Saturday while the team is in Philadelphia for their three-game series against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Still, despite the ramp-up over the last few days, there is no projected date for when Ohtani will face hitters or start his slew of simulated games.
The Dodgers have the luxury of having a full five-man starting rotation right now, which includes lefty Blake Snell and right-handed pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, and Dustin May.
On the injured list, the Dodgers also have righty Tony Gonsolin set to start a rehab assignment in the coming weeks, and veteran lefty Clayton Kershaw is waiting in the wings for a possible June return date.
Although there has been much debate on whether Ohtani should/will return to the Dodgers’ starting rotation this season, the team is in no rush and wants to maximize the two-way status in October and not the early part of the regular season after he has not pitched in over eighteen months in a Major League game.
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