Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is eagerly anticipating the return of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to the mound. Ohtani’s path back to pitching is one that has fans buzzing, and Roberts recently shared his thoughts on what he’s seen so far.
“The stuff looks good. It’s easy 94, 95 mph coming out of his hand. It’s a really good throw,” Roberts said, highlighting the impressive velocity Ohtani has been showcasing in his recovery. He expressed his excitement, not just for Ohtani but for how hitters will respond when he ramps up his pitches. “I think we’re all anxious to see how it looks to hitters. But when he decides to ramp it up, I’m very anxious with that too. But it’s all on his schedule. It really is,” Roberts added, emphasizing that Ohtani’s timeline is a careful balance influenced by both his intuition and medical guidance.
Ohtani is sticking to his recovery schedule, which includes light throwing sessions on Wednesdays and bullpen appearances on Saturdays, foregoing a rehab assignment in the minors. Recently, he faced live hitters for the first time since undergoing surgery last September, throwing 22 pitches during five at-bats at Citi Field. It was a significant step in his recovery journey, building anticipation among fans eagerly awaiting his return to competitive pitching.
His last outing on the mound was with the Angels on August 23, 2023, but his impact on the Dodgers extends far beyond his pitching prowess. With a career ERA of 3.01 and a remarkable fourth-place finish in the American League Cy Young voting in 2022, Ohtani is a force to be reckoned with. He struck out 219 batters over 166 innings that season, all while posting a career-best ERA of 2.33.
Roberts revealed that he expects Ohtani to be back after the All-Star break, a timeline that has fans hopeful for a thrilling comeback. Even without taking the mound this season, Ohtani has been making waves at the plate and is in strong contention for his third consecutive MVP award. Currently, he leads MLB with 17 home runs and has crossed home plate 53 times, while also topping the National League with 128 total bases.
His impressive slash line of .302/.397/.643 indicates that Ohtani is not just participating but thriving, with an OPS exceeding 1.000 for the third straight year. Additionally, he leads the Dodgers with 60 hits and boasts the second-best slugging percentage in the NL, trailing only World Series MVP Freddie Freeman.
Ohtani aims to maintain this momentum as the Dodgers gear up for their second game of a three-game series against the New York Mets. Fans will be looking forward to seeing how he continues to contribute, even as he takes measured steps toward reclaiming his role as one of baseball’s most dynamic pitchers. Let’s see how the rest of this season unfolds, starting with Saturday night’s match, kicking off at 4:15 p.m. PT/7:15 p.m. ET.
