LOS ANGELES, CA — Shohei Ohtani delivered a jolt of excitement to Dodger Stadium in the ninth inning on Wednesday night, blasting a walk-off home run against the Atlanta Braves. As the Braves struggle through a historic first week of the season, Ohtani’s emergence as a pitcher in the minds of the Los Angeles Dodgers has also become a topic of discussion.
Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts clarified Ohtani’s pitching timeline.
“He’ll throw a light pen on Friday, a heavier pen on Saturday, and then I think we’ll go from there,” Roberts said. “So there’s still a lot of bullpens ahead, but I don’t know, we don’t have it scheduled yet when he’s gonna face hitters. We’re not there yet.”
Ohtani, who also threw a light bullpen session Wednesday, represents a key piece for the Dodgers’ rotation. There is not yet a specific timetable for his return to the mound, but the team is encouraged that Ohtani will pitch again in 2025 and is hopeful that he will return later in the season.
The Dodgers have a deep rotation of ace-like pitchers, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, and Dustin May. Veterans Clayton Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin are also working hard to overcome injuries. The insertion of Ohtani into the middle of this lineup could be intimidating to any opposing team in MLB.
Though his exact return to pitching is unknown, the excitement for Ohtani’s contributions at the plate and on the mound is palpable.
