The anticipation surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound has become one of the most persistent storylines in baseball, despite having a steady stream of updates from the Dodgers. Ever since undergoing his second major elbow surgery in September 2023, Ohtani has remained in the spotlight, not just for his remarkable production at the plate but for the looming question of when, or if, he will reclaim his role as a two-way superstar. Now the Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts, shared a new update about Shotime.
Well, despite encouraging signs in bullpen sessions and cautious optimism from Dodgers officials, whispers of doubt and endless speculation continue to swirl. With every rehab milestone and minor setback, the public’s appetite for answers only grows, underscoring just how much Ohtani’s return to pitching means—not only to the Dodgers, but to the game itself. However, Roberts’ update might not sit well with the fans.
“He threw a 35-pitch bullpen today. Hopefully, at some point in time, we’ll get him to face some hitters and do some simulated games.”
“He threw a 35-pitch bullpen today. Hopefully at some point in time we’ll get him to face some hitters, and do some simulated games.”
Dave Roberts talks with @Ken_Rosenthal about Ohtani’s progress on the mound, Sasaki’s performance, and more pic.twitter.com/Zgs9w6sOaJ
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 4, 2025
Roberts also said that it is still a couple of months away for Ohtani to take the mound. Yes, for those who were expecting Ohtani to pitch soon, you will surely be disappointed. Well, a 35-pitch bullpen session is not bad for Ohtani, considering he started from a 15-pitch session just a week ago. As long as Ohtani continues to throw consistently without setbacks, the two-way star appears to be progressing steadily toward a return to pitching at the Major League level.
The next step for Ohtani would be to face a few hitters and play a simulated game. Tentatively, that will take months before fans can see him in a regular-season game.
(Keep an eye on this space to know about why the Dodgers are rushing up to get back Ohtani to the mound, considering their injury-ridden pitching lineup…)
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