The Los Angeles Dodgers sparked a frenzy Sunday evening when they announced two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will make his long-awaited first start from the mound in Dodger blue Monday night.
The three-time MVP has not pitched in a game since August 23, 2023, when he played for the Los Angeles Angels. That’s 663 days between pitching appearances – and 663 days since fans caught a glimpse of his wicked four-seam fastball and splitter.
Ohtani threw in his first simulated plate appearances at the end of May. At the time, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he didn’t see the 30-year-old pitching in a game until after July’s All-Star Break. Ohtani has since thrown two more live sessions.
Even Sunday afternoon, Roberts said he wasn’t sure exactly when Ohtani’s highly anticipated pitching return would come.
“Shohei’s getting antsy, which is a good thing for us. And so, I don’t know which day he’s going to open for us, but there’s a high probability he’s going to open for us in the coming days,” Roberts said after the 5-4 win over the Giants.
How quickly things seemed to escalate as the Dodgers tweeted Sunday evening: “Shohei Ohtani will be the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers tomorrow night against the San Diego Padres.”
As Roberts previously discussed, the four-time All-Star is not built up as a starter yet, so Monday’s game against the Padres, Ohtani will be used as an opener.
“He’s ready to pitch in a Major League game,” Roberts said. “I think it’s more driven by the fact that it doesn’t necessarily need to be a typical starting pitcher ramp-up.”
Because of Ohtani’s two-way player status, he does not count against the team’s 13 pitcher spots on the 26-man roster. In that way, Roberts will be able to give him real-game experience without the stress of taking up a relief pitcher’s place.
“To potentially keep running this process out, to have him taxed for a game, where he feels that he’s equipped to go an inning or two and then continue to build up from there right now, so in that sense, not surprising,” Roberts said.
“A week ago, we were talking about another live and potentially getting to four innings and things like that. But the conversations, the confidence that he has, it’s time to go.”
Following Ohtani’s last game from the rubber in August 2023 as an Angel, he underwent a procedure to repair the right ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow in September 2023. It was his second surgery on his right elbow. He then underwent surgery on his left shoulder this past offseason, which made the Dodgers even more cautious with their record-breaking signing.
Every season seems to be a record season for the Japanese star, but the 2024 season really did take the cake. Before the season, he signed the then-reportedly largest contract in North American sports history when he penned a 10-year deal with the Dodgers. He then went on to become the first player to hit 50+ home runs and steal 50+ bases, set career-highs in batting average and home runs, was once again selected as an All-Star, won his first World Series ring and was unanimously voted the National League MVP (the third time he’s won unanimously). Ohtani remains the only player to win unanimously more than once.
The right-handed pitcher had a career 3.01 ERA before his pitching layoff.
“I do feel like just being the two-way player that I used to be was the norm. So, last year really was the abnormal year. For me it’s about really getting back to what I used to do,” Ohtani said via his interpreter Will Ireton on Saturday.–CNN
