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Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts Offers Update on Shohei Ohtani Pitching Debut

The Los Angeles superstar hasn't appeared on the mound since 2023.

Liam McKeone

Ohtani has two home runs already this season
Ohtani has two home runs already this season / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are yet again championship favorites for this season after winning the World Series last year— and they could be getting even better at some point.

Shohei Ohtani spent the 2024 season as the Dodgers' DH while recovering from Tommy John surgery. It's now been well over a year since Ohtani underwent the surgery and Los Angeles was willing to offer the international superstar a record contract in part because he is a generational two-way talent. It therefore goes to figure that the Dodgers will be happy to utilize Ohtani's pitching skills once he is fully recovered.

How close is he to that mark? Dodgers manager Dave Roberts offered an update on Saturday night ahead of L.A.'s clash with the Detroit Tigers. The short version is that Ohtani is getting there, but isn't quite close to returning.

Roberts told reporters that Ohtani's 2025 debut as a pitcher is a "ways off," per The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya. However, Roberts did reveal the Japanese star threw during a bullpen session on Saturday night, his first since February 25.

Previously, Roberts had thrown May out as a tentative date range for Ohtani to make his first start in a Dodgers uniform on the mound. But this latest development sounds like a bit of backtracking on that front.

"This is a long-term play for Shohei’s well-being also," Roberts said. "So making sure that we're as cautious and careful as we possibly can [be]. And, yeah, for 2025, the most important piece of this is having him be able to do both through the end of the season, through October."

The last season Ohtani pitched, he went 10-5 in 23 starts for the 2023 Los Angeles Angels with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts. The Dodgers would love to have that weapon in their arsenal again.

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Liam McKeone
LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.

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