Shohei Ohtani, now in his second year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, still has yet to pitch for the team. He's recovering from a UCL repair that kept him from the mound all of 2024. Despite that, he's still been incredibly worth-it, winning an MVP en route to a World Series win in 2025, but part of the reason he was given such a high-value contract from Los Angeles is he can play both sides of the ball at an elite level.
All signs are pointing toward Ohtani pitching this season, with him taking his second session of live batting practice on Saturday afternoon. Manager Dave Roberts was pleased with the overall direction of the simulated pitching, but did admit that his control is still coming along.
Longtime player Alex Rodriguez thinks returning to pitching this year would be a mistake, though.
"If Ohtani gets hurt and makes it 15 pitchers on the IL [for the Dodgers], the season is over. For me, the risk-reward is not there."@AROD thinks Shohei Ohtani shouldn't pitch for the Dodgers until next year pic.twitter.com/Wf6o06zlxq
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 31, 2025
"If Ohtani gets hurt and makes it 15 pitchers on the IL, the season's over. So for me, the risk and reward is not there.
"Something else to think about, he's not a finesse pitcher, he's a power pitcher. Fastball, tight slider and split. He's already had two Tommy John injury [sic], he had a separate shoulder injury in the World Series. I would let that lie. I would have a whole offseason and spring training to set this up physically, emotionally and mentally," Rodriguez said.
It's an interesting thought, but detractors of the idea might not see a world in which the Dodgers can win it all without risking a bit, especially after their injuries to the pitching staff already this season. Another point to make is that Ohtani's second UCL repair was slightly different than his first: Dr. Neal ElAttrache utilized InternalBrace augmentation along with the Tommy John repair. The modern technology is thought to be better for aiding recovery and healthspan.
Plus, it's hard to imagine the Dodgers putting him out on the mound if they genuinely think he's at serious risk of reinjury.
That said, we've seen pitchers who miss out on the spring training process struggle to get in a groove, so Rodriguez might have a point to just waiting a year and giving Ohtani even more time to rest, recover, and return to dominance on that side of the field.
More MLB on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Alex Rodriguez Gives Hot Take On Shohei Ohtani Pitching in 2025.
