Shohei Ohtani’s highly anticipated return to the mound continues to be pushed back, prompting speculation from ESPN about whether his days as a two-way player are numbered.
Initially expected to pitch by May, the Los Angeles Dodgers now face uncertainty as Ohtani has not thrown off a mound since Feb. 25 and won’t face hitters until after the team’s Japan Series in mid-March.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has remained vague about a return date, explaining that the team is cautious, fully allowing Ohtani to ramp up as a hitter first.
However, with delays mounting, ESPN’s Pardon The Interruption has questioned whether Ohtani’s ability to pitch at an elite level is in jeopardy. Pablo Torre stated that Los Angeles are not rushing Ohtani, understanding that the team is rich with starting pitching.
“The Dodgers know they have a luxury product, and they’re a luxury team that doesn’t need that product to do twice the work that it’s capable of doing because they won a World Series with him being half of himself,” Torre stated when opening the discussion about Ohtani.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani against the Cincinnati Reds during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Nonetheless, Tony Kornheiser noted that this could be a sign that the Dodgers star might not pitch against in the majors.
“I take away from this that there’s no optimism in what we just heard towards Shohei pitching again,” Kornheiser said. “Optimism would be he’s on schedule or he’s ahead of schedule.
“This is, we’re changing the schedule. We’re delaying the schedule. To me, it sounds like it could be down the road, the first step towards telling people Shohei Ohtani is not going to pitch anymore in the majors.
“That’s fine. He’s good enough. He’s the MVP without it. But how great would he be if he could get back to pitching the way he did a few years ago?”
Multiple injuries have complicated Ohtani’s road back to pitching. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in late 2023, his rehab was further impacted by a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder suffered during the 2024 World Series.
The Dodgers, determined to preserve Ohtani’s bat in the lineup, have opted against a traditional rehab assignment, meaning he will go straight from simulated games to an MLB mound.
Despite the pitching uncertainty, Ohtani remains an offensive powerhouse. He launched a home run in his first at-bat of spring training, reinforcing his value as a hitter.
With a loaded rotation featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers can afford patience.
While ESPN speculates on the future of Ohtani’s pitching career, the Dodgers are in no rush. They remain hopeful he will return, but with no clear timetable, the possibility of him transitioning into a full-time hitter is becoming harder to ignore.
