Shohei Ohtani, sidelined from pitching since July 3 with nagging knee and biceps injuries, finally hit the bullpen mound Friday afternoon, throwing 34 pitches with his entire repertoire of fastballs and breaking balls. This is massive news for a Dodgers team that’s suddenly looking… well, kinda lost. Seriously, for all the talk about them “ruining baseball” with their roster, they’ve only scraped out 13 wins in their last 29 games. They’re getting absolutely smoked, outscored 115-136, and averaging a measly 3.97 runs per contest. It’s a bumpy ride, even if they’re not in danger of losing the NL West or missing the postseason. That Friday 3-1 win over Milwaukee was a rare bright spot lately.
Bullpen Breakthrough, But Don’t Hold Your Breath Just Yet
Look, any Ohtani pitching news is good news, right? Getting the guy back on the bump, even for 34 pitches, using everything he’s got, that’s progress we love to see. He had a lights-out 1.79 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 85 ⅔ innings over 14 starts before the injuries flared up, so imagine what he brings. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. GM Brandon Gomes was pretty clear after the session, telling The Athletic that they’re “obviously continuing to build up volume and intensity, and all of these things are positive.” Then he hit the brakes, saying they “just need to take our time and see if he comes in feeling good tomorrow, and then OK, what’s the next step? A lot of it is just how he’s bouncing back, and do we think it’s prudent to keep progressing?” It’s a good sign, absolutely, but the big picture says it’s still a waiting game, folks. His return isn’t “imminent,” just moving in the right direction.
The Complicated Return of a Two-Way Star
So, what’s the actual timeline for getting Ohtani back on the mound? Manager Dave Roberts laid it out, saying Ohtani will probably need one or two more bullpen sessions, followed by at least two live batting practice sessions against hitters. That schedule puts him on track to pitch in an MLB game in early September. Here’s the kicker though: just like last year after his UCL surgery, Ohtani won’t go on a minor-league rehab assignment. Instead, he’ll work as an opener, building up his pitch count right in the big leagues. Roberts confirmed this, saying, “I think that then you start to think about who the guys that he essentially would open for, and that sort of shortens the list. But I do think that for Shohei, knowing that any inning is additive is important, and it was a formula that worked.” Don’t expect him to stretch deep into games anytime soon, either; it’s not a given he’ll even hit five innings before the regular season ends. If they can get 3-4 inning starts out of him in the postseason, they’ll take it. And a bullpen role? Forget about it, it’s just not feasible when he’s still mashing at the plate, leading the National League with a phenomenal .921 OPS and hitting 27 homers with a .290/.390/.540 line. He’s still doing the hitting thing, and he’s doing it better than almost anyone.
The Dodgers are clearly desperate for any innings Ohtani can give them on the mound. They need it bad as they stumble toward the postseason, and his arm could be the spark they’re missing. The next step is simply getting through those next bullpens and live BPs, and hoping his knee and biceps hold up. We’ll be watching to see if he truly feels good “tomorrow” and what that “next step” actually entails.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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