The Los Angeles Dodgers are proceeding with a deliberate and patient approach in managing Shohei Ohtani’s return to pitching. After a brief hiatus from regular bullpen sessions, Ohtani resumed throwing last weekend and completed another session earlier today. As reported by Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, Ohtani threw 26 pitches, notably incorporating his splitter for the first time this year.
This followed a “light” bullpen session on Thursday, indicating a gradual increase in activity. However, this progression should not be interpreted as an acceleration of Ohtani’s timeline for rejoining the major league pitching rotation.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani Adds Splitter To Rehab
Plunkett notes that manager Dave Roberts outlined the team’s intention to establish a routine mirroring Ohtani’s eventual in-season schedule, with two mound sessions per week: a lighter bullpen on Thursday and a more extensive session on Saturday. Despite Ohtani’s return to regular mound work, Plunkett emphasizes that significant progress is still needed before he is ready for major league game action.
According to Roberts, the next phase in Ohtani’s rehabilitation will involve integrating his complete pitching repertoire into his bullpen sessions, moving beyond primarily fastballs and the occasional splitter.
Only after Ohtani is consistently utilizing his full array of pitches will the possibility of facing live hitters in simulated games be considered. The Dodgers plan to use simulated games instead of a traditional rehab assignment, allowing Ohtani to build up his pitching readiness while continuing his role as the team’s everyday designated hitter. Several such simulated outings will likely be necessary before Ohtani is deemed ready for game competition.
Plunkett suggests that, at this juncture, a realistic timeframe for Ohtani’s pitching debut with the Dodgers would be “at the earliest” sometime in June. In the interim, the Dodgers are relying on a rotation featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, and Dustin May. The potential returns of Clayton Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin from the injured list before Ohtani is ready further bolster the Dodgers’ pitching depth and options.