Shohei Ohtani’s big return to the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers? Yeah, don’t hold your breath, because it’s looking seriously uncertain for the long haul. Despite some recent activity, it’s becoming pretty clear the two-way superstar isn’t going to be back on the bump anytime soon, and that’s a tough pill for anyone following the team.
Bullpen Sessions vs. The Reality Check
We just saw Ohtani out there, doing his thing, throwing a bullpen session on Wednesday, July 22, in Philadelphia. And guess what? He’s even got another session lined up for Saturday, July 25, in New York. On the surface, you’d think, “Okay, this is it! A step forward, right?” But hold up, because Dodgers manager Dave Roberts just dropped a major reality check, essentially putting the brakes on any immediate hype. When reporters asked about Ohtani pitching next week, Roberts was unambiguous. “That’s too early,” he stated, cutting straight to the chase. He wasn’t just guessing either, adding, “I feel very good that it won’t be next week.” Talk about a definitive “not gonna happen.” This whole frustrating delay, as we know, started when he was pulled from his scheduled start right before the MLB All-Star break. The culprit? Nasty inflammation and irritation in his left knee. Honestly, the organization even pulled the plug on his initially planned start for this past Wednesday, clearly choosing to be super cautious instead of rushing their golden arm.
The Long Game: Not About July, It’s About October
If you want to understand the Dodgers’ strategy here, Roberts laid it out crystal clear. “Every player wants to get back out there and do what they do,” he explained, summing up Ohtani’s natural competitive drive. “But I think he understands it’s not about July, it’s about October.” That’s the whole ballgame for Los Angeles: prioritizing the long-term goal. They’ve already dedicated a massive amount of time to get Ohtani back to full health. So, pushing things now just isn’t happening. “So, we’ve already taken a lot of time to get him back to full health, so we’re not going to start earlier than we need to,” Roberts emphasized, leaving no room for doubt. It’s safe to say they are going to be incredibly cautious with his workload in the second half of the season. What does that mean for when he *does* return? Don’t expect him to be out there throwing 100 pitches right away, not even close. And get this, Roberts also recently revealed that Ohtani actually had lubricant injected into his knee for relief. The good news? It wasn’t drained. So, they’re trying to ease the discomfort, but it’s clearly a delicate balance. It sounds like they are doing absolutely everything medically possible to get that knee right, but there’s no magic button for a quick fix.
So, where do we go from here? The immediate focus is that scheduled bullpen session on Saturday in New York. For the Dodgers and Ohtani, it’s all about patience and playing the long game. They are putting his long-term health first, hoping it pays off when it truly matters later in the year, even if it means a tough wait for fans eager to see him back dealing from the mound.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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