Dave Roberts Comments on Possible Return of Shohei Ohtani to Pitching Mound Following Latest Live BP

Shohei Ohtani took part in his third live BP on Tuesday as he gears up for a return to the pitching mound for the first time since August 2023.

Dave Roberts Comments on Possible Return of Shohei Ohtani to Pitching Mound Following Latest Live BP

Shohei Ohtani and Dave Roberts (Image via X/@DodgersNation/MLB)

Reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani is gearing up for a return to the pitching mound. On Tuesday, the Japanese international took part in another live batting practice and threw out some pitches. His manager, Dave Roberts, later commented on his possible return to the mound.

Ohtani, the two-way star, has not pitched in the MLB since 2023. In his final year with the Los Angeles Angels, he suffered an elbow injury that forced him to undergo surgery.

As a result of this surgery, Ohtani did not pitch in the 2024 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and played solely as the designated hitter (DH) of the team. This move worked out well for all parties as Ohtani founded the 50-50 club and ended up winning the World Series in his first season with the team.

Now the player is looking to go back to his two-way style of playing. In May, Ohtani would take part in his first live BP and face off against real-time hitters.

Before the game against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, he was again seen throwing pitches. As per reports, he threw 44 pitches and managed to pick up 6 strikeouts.

Dave Roberts was later asked when Ohtani could make a return to the mound. The 53-year-old expressed that the team is not going to push and rush him into this role as soon as possible.

It’s tempting. I’m sure Shohei is tempted to just rip the Band-Aid off and get into a big league game, but I think we’re doing a good job of trying to be patient.

This latest outing from Ohtani marked an increase from his previous one. The 30-year-old previously threw out 29 pitches. As per pitching coach Mark Prior, once he gets into the 60-70 pitches zone, then the Dodgers will start envisioning about his return to pitching.

Amidst several injuries, Shohei Ohtani’s return could be a massive boost to Dodgers pitching rotation

At the start of the year, the Los Angeles Dodgers had one of the best pitching rotations in the league. However, they have suffered several blows in this department in recent times. In the midst of this, Shohei Ohtani‘s return to the mound could be a massive boost to the team’s pitching rotation.

Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani (Image via Imago)

In the offseason, the Dodgers first roped in 2-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell on a 5-year deal. They then added Japanese star Roki Sasaki to the mix. The two of them were expected to play a major role this year for the team.

Unfortunately for the Dodgers, both have suffered injuries. Meanwhile, Tyler Glasnow, who missed the postseason last year due to an injury, is also sidelined with a blow. At the moment, the reigning World Series champions have 8 starting pitchers on the injured list.

On Tuesday, the Dodgers recalled Matt Sauer and replaced him with Lou Trivino after one inning. The relief pitcher ended up conceding 9 runs on 11 hits in 4.2 innings.

Manager Dave Roberts then gave the pitch to Kike Hernandez. The outfield player surprisingly went on to pitch 2.1 innings for his team and gave up just 1 earned run on 3 hits. The Dodgers would end up losing the game 11-1.

At a time like this, the return of Ohtani becomes more crucial for the Dodgers. There had been some reports claiming that he could be added to the pitching rotation before the All-Star break next month. The 4-time MLB All-Star has a 38-19 record in the league with an ERA of 3.01 and 608 strikeouts.

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