Ohtani’s Return to Pitching Brightens Spotlight on MLB’s Biggest Star

Major League Baseball’s biggest talent is back on the mound, significantly ahead of schedule, and again is poised to showcase the unique two-way skill set that first drove him to international stardom. 

Shohei Ohtani will start for the Dodgers on Monday night as they begin a home series against the archrival Padres, marking his first such pitching appearance since undergoing major ligament surgery in September 2023, while still with the Angels. 

The Dodgers originally were targeting Ohtani to return to pitching sometime after the mid-July All-Star break, and as recently as three weeks ago, said there was “still a long way to go” in his recovery to be able to face major-league hitters in a game. Since then, though, Ohtani has progressed well through a series of practice pitching sessions, while showing his customary velocity and command. 

Patchwork Pitching

Los Angeles, meanwhile, continues to face a rash of injuries elsewhere in its pitching staff, with top hurlers Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, and Blake Treinen forming key parts of a total of 14 pitchers on the team’s injured list. 

Ohtani will appear initially as a multi-inning opener and is not yet entirely built up to make full starts as a pitcher. The Dodgers, however, remain highly eager for anything he can contribute, as the expected dominance in their title defense that started in historic fashion this season has become much more difficult, in part because of the spate of player injuries. The team is just 14–14 in the last 28 games, and it holds a fragile, two-game lead over the Giants in the National League West division, with the Padres just three games back.

Huge Impact

The defending NL Most Valuable Player and MLB’s first player with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season, Ohtani is already one of the league’s foremost stars, but a return to pitching will only expand his notoriety more, and provide the league another sizable boost as it continues efforts to make its standout talents into major national and international figures. 

To that end, MLB featured Ohtani today in the final installment of its anime-themed “Heroes of the Game” marketing campaign that has featured other stars such as the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Pirates’ Paul Skenes.

“It’s going to be bananas when it happens. There’s been a lot of anticipation,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about Ohtani’s return to pitching. “I think we’ve done it the right way as far as our [rehabilitation] process. … I think that it’s just great for the game. It’s good for our team. Our guys are excited about this potential. Most importantly, I’m excited for Shohei.”

In the meantime, Ohtani will also continue as a designated hitter, where he is again leading MLB in runs scored, and is trailing only Judge in several other measures. 

MLB Network will show Monday’s game nationally outside of the Los Angeles and San Diego markets, where team-based coverage will continue. Already on the schedule for the league-owned outlet, the game has now become the subject of additional promotion and will be discussed during each of MLB Network’s studio shows during the day leading up to the 10:10 p.m. ET start.