Shohei Ohtani is ready to begin his pitching comeback, and the Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander said Wednesday that he will throw a bullpen session this weekend.
Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2023 while still with the Los Angeles Angels. He couldn’t pitch last season while enjoying a standout first season with the Dodgers as a hitter.
Ohtani is shooting to pitch in the major leagues sometime in May. While his arm is progressing, his left shoulder has lingering discomfort after he underwent surgery following last season. He hurt it in Game 2 of the World Series.
‘Just a limited range of motion,’ Ohtani told reporters through his interpreter at Glendale, Arizona. ‘I’ve gone through it with the elbow before, and with the shoulder, it’s a little bit more complicated. I do believe that’s the part that I have to be patient.’
Ohtani also went through Tommy John surgery in September 2018 with the Angels.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani will not pitch during spring training and will not go on any minor league rehab stints.
Shohei Ohtani is gearing up to start pitching for the dodgers after undergoing surgery
Ohtani joined the Dodgers last offseason after signing a 10-year deal worth $700million
Roberts also said adjustments will be made to Ohtani’s workload when he’s back to hitting and pitching. He cited some rest days from being the designated hitter and possibly less stealing as possibilities for Ohtani.
In this first season with Los Angeles, the three-time MVP established career highs across the board by batting .310 with 54 homers, 130 RBIs, 134 runs scored, 197 hits, and 59 steals.
‘As far as the pitching vs. hitting, he’s done it before,’ Roberts said. ‘He’s had big years doing both. We haven’t got there yet as far as what he’s comfortable with, what he feels good about.’
‘I’m looking forward to those conversations, but it’s obviously going to be a little more complex than it was last year,’ Roberts continued.
Los Angeles right-handed relievers Evan Phillips (shoulder) and Michael Kopech (forearm) are behind schedule and could open the season on the 15-day injured list, according to Roberts.
Ohtani joined the Dodgers last offseason after signing a record-breaking 10-year deal worth $700million. The deal became the largest contract in sports history before Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765million contract with the New York Mets after the World Series.
