Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound isn't coming anytime soon.
Ohtani is now not expected to start pitching in games again until after the MLB All-Star break, which will take place from July 14–17. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Los Angeles Dodgers plan to keep Ohtani from pitching until after the break, avoiding rushing him back as he is already putting up MVP-level production as a hitter.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said in April that Ohtani has looked "great" in bullpen session, but was a couple months away from pitching in a game again. Now, it appears he still is over a couple months away, and will at the earliest pitch in the second half of July.
Ohtani has not pitched since he was with the Los Angeles Angles in 2023, when he went 10–5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts across 23 starts and won the American League MVP award. Ohtani suffered a torn UCL toward the end of the 2023 season, and underwent surgery on his throwing arm.
As a hitter, Ohtani has slashed .308/.410/.641 with 12 home runs, 21 RBIs and 10 stolen bases so far this season. While only playing as the Dodgers' designated hitter for all of last season, Ohtani hit .310 with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases as he helped the Dodgers win the World Series.
Safe to say, the Dodgers aren't planning on rushing Ohtani to the mound anytime soon. Though the Dodgers are currently missing Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow due to injury, they have increased depth in the rotation thanks to the addition of Roki Sasaki and the return of Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin, who both missed the entire 2024 season due to injury. Clayton Kershaw also appears primed to return shortly after making another rehab start on Sunday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shohei Ohtani Reportedly Still Months Away From Return to Pitching in Games.
