Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani is making progress in a return to the rotation.
Ohtani threw his first bullpen in nearly a month on Friday and the next step for the right-hander will be another bullpen session and a live batting practice if all goes accordingly, manager Dave Roberts said Saturday.
“Then,” Roberts said, “I would see him in a major league game.”
Ohtani was in the midst of a Cy Young performance, sporting a 1.79 ERA with 95 strikeouts across 85.2 innings of work this season. The 32-year-old’s pitching clinic was halted by a knee and biceps injury, which essentially halted his two-way duties for the foreseeable future.
Barring any setbacks, it appears Ohtani is on track to return to the rotation in the coming weeks.
While the rotation certainly misses Ohtani, his absence has also caused problems for the Dodgers bullpen. The overtaxed unit has gone from eight to seven relievers, a factor in the recent poor performance from Dodgers relievers.
Ohtani is not the only Los Angeles starter nearing a return, though. Also on Saturday, Roberts shared that Tyler Glasnow will require just one more rehab start before re-joining the rotation. Glasnow looked dominant in his most recent triple-A start.
Ohtani, the pitcher, hasn’t made a start for the Dodgers since July 3. But Ohtani, the hitter, has continued grinding.
The Dodgers two-way star is hitting .290 with 27 home runs, 74 RBIs and a .930 OPS. There have been several questions surrounding Ohtani’s performance at the plate in 2026, particularly surrounding the taxing workload of a dominant pitcher.
Though Ohtani’s offensive numbers haven’t been as strong as his first two seasons with the Dodgers, his success as a two-way star has put him at the forefront of the MVP race.
