The Los Angeles Dodgers are determined to play it very safe with Shohei Ohtani’s return as a pitcher.
During Saturday’s game between the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports provided some context around how the Dodgers are approaching Ohtani’s return to the mound. According to Rosenthal, the biggest factor the Dodgers care about is Ohtani’s availability for the postseason.
“The Dodgers are being intentionally deliberate with (Ohtani’s) process coming off a second major elbow surgery,” Rosenthal said. “The goal: to get Ohtani ready for the postseason.”
To be clear, this does not mean the Dodgers will not bring Ohtani back as a pitcher until October. It does mean the team will be very cautious in when he is brought back, and all of the focus will be on his playoff availability. That may limit how much the Dodgers use Ohtani on the mound until then.
Ohtani has begun through bullpen sessions as he works his way back from his Aug. 2023 UCL surgery. The team has not put a specific timeline on his return to game action, with manager Dave Roberts simply saying it will be “a while” before that happens.
Until that point, Ohtani will just keep hitting. He has already authored one dramatic moment this season, and was hitting .324 with three home runs in nine games entering play Saturday.
