Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Shohei Ohtani is on track to appear in a major league game as a pitcher, provided Ohtani suffers no setbacks following a 34-pitch mound session on Friday, after which he is expected to throw additional bullpen sessions and face hitters in simulated games before returning to game action.
Ohtani nears pitching return; Dodgers manager projects major league appearance after further bullpen sessions
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Shohei Ohtani is on track to appear in a major league game as a pitcher, provided Ohtani suffers no setbacks following a 34-pitch mound session on Friday, after which he is expected to throw additional bullpen sessions and face hitters in simulated games before returning to game action.
Ohtani last pitched in a game on July 3. His absence from the mound, stemming from a sore knee, required the Dodgers to reduce their active bullpen from eight relievers to seven. Roberts said the situation has left 'all of our relievers overworked right now,' a strain compounded by the team playing 13 games in 13 days with a seven-man bullpen.
Under Major League Baseball roster rules, teams may carry a maximum of 13 pitchers among their 26 active players from opening day through Aug. 31. Because Ohtani is classified as a two-way player, he does not count against that pitcher limit. When pitching, Ohtani effectively allows the Dodgers to carry 13 other pitchers — enabling a six-man starting rotation and an eight-man bullpen simultaneously.
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell has called the Ohtani Rule 'a bad rule.' The six-man rotation allowed Dodgers starters to pitch once every six or seven days rather than the customary five or six, which helped them pitch deeper into games and reduced bullpen workload. Once Ohtani stopped pitching, the Dodgers were forced to choose between a sixth starter and an eighth reliever, but not both.
Roberts said the Dodgers are 'kind of beholden to' a six-man rotation because pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki are three and two seasons, respectively, removed from the Japanese league, where starters typically pitch once per week. Blake Snell's return from the injured list allowed the team to restore a six-man rotation after initially reverting to five starters.
When Ohtani resumes pitching, the Dodgers plan to use him as an opener, starting with one inning in his first start or two and increasing the workload gradually. That deliberate pace may limit how stretched out he will be for the postseason, where active rosters consist of 26 players with a maximum of 13 pitchers. Roberts said the team will take whatever Ohtani can contribute from the mound. The Dodgers also see his return to pitching this season as positioning him to pitch again in 2026, which would allow Yamamoto and Sasaki to maintain extended rest between starts.
- The source does not state the specific date of Ohtani's 34-pitch mound session referred to as Friday.
- The source does not state the nature or current status of Ohtani's sore knee or provide a medical assessment.
- The source does not state how many bullpen sessions or simulated game appearances Ohtani has completed since July 3.
- The source does not state Ohtani's response or his own account of his recovery progress.
- The source does not state how the Dodgers' win-loss record has been affected during the period Ohtani has been unavailable as a pitcher.
- The source does not state when rosters expand to 28 players on Sept. 1 in relation to the current date of the article, making it unclear whether that expansion has already occurred.
Read the original at New York Post