Shohei Ohtani taking slow lane in return to mound: 'It's important to be conservative'
WASHINGTON — Shohei Ohtani laid out both his and the Los Angeles Dodgers' mindset regarding his return to the pitching mound: Better safe than sorry.
Ohtani, the greatest two-way player in baseball history, hasn't thrown a competitive pitch since August 2023, though he won the National League MVP and a World Series title nonetheless a year ago.
Now, his battle back from a second Tommy John surgery has transitioned from recovery to return. He's ramping up his bullpen sessions yet still limiting both how hard and what type of pitches he's throwing.
And there's lots of underlying reasons for that.
"The Dodgers are consulting with doctors just to make sure that since this is my second operation, it’s really important to be conservative and be on top of things," Ohtani said Monday night via club interpreter Will Ireton.
The Dodgers have raced out to a 9-3 start, although they've lost three of their past four games. And the ludicrous amount of pitching depth they began the season with has thinned just a bit.
Left-hander Blake Snell, on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation, underwent an MRI on Monday that revealed no structural damage. He acknowledged Monday that the injury affected him in his first two starts, then became untenable as he threw an off-day bullpen session.
Franchise icon Clayton Kershaw threw another bullpen session Monday in his climb back from a toe injury and will face live batters at the Dodgers' Arizona complex on Thursday. He says that "when my toe's ready to go, I'm ready to go."
With Tony Gonsolin also on the shelf with back discomfort, the Dodgers have to cover the last two games at Washington with spot starters; Justin Wrobleski will get the call Tuesday, with Landon Knack pitching Wednesday.
So the Dodgers are getting by. But wouldn't a global icon with a 98-mph fastball and devastating sweeper be nice?
Well, maybe pump the brakes a bit.
"I feel pretty good with where I’m at physically," says Ohtani. "There’s some limitation on how hard I’m supposed to throw, or the type of pitches I’m allowed to throw, so once I’m pretty clear of being able to do all of the above, I feel pretty good about throwing live BP."
Yet the Dodgers will keep those governors on Ohtani's prized right arm a bit more. It would also make a lot more sense to slot his debut later in the season, since, given his recovery from a second Tommy John surgery, his innings count will be limited.
Playoff Ohtani would be far more impactful on the mound than June Ohtani. So the Dodgers will soldier on and await the true arrival of their two-way star, in his second year at Chavez Ravine.
"I think he’s actually in a good place" says manager Dave Roberts. "It was a collective decision and I think he understand the goal is he’s firing on all cylinders toward the end of the season, through October. We’re in lockstep.
"I don’t think there’s any angst or frustration from Shohei in that sense at all. I think he’s grateful that we are being sensitive to the long-term play given that it’s his second Tommy John, as well."
Besides, Ohtani the hitter is doing OK: A .311 average, 1.080 OPS, four homers and missing just a double for his second career cycle on Monday. That'll play, even if he won't, right now, on the mound as he finishes the process of returning from a second elbow reconstruction.
"Certainly, after No. 2, it makes you feel a little more human I guess," says Roberts. "And also appreciating the longer term and knowing he wants to pitch for a long time. To get the foundation right and strong and feel good about it coming off the second one is important to him as well.
"It’s trying to bake in how many bullets he has this season and weighing the importance of the back end of the season – I think all that played into the decision of slowing things down. He was part of the process, and he’s on board."