Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Tosses 30 pitches in side session
Rotowire
Ohtani (elbow) threw 30 pitches and sat around 90-to-92 miles per hour with his fastball in his most recent bullpen session Saturday, MLB.com reports.
After undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his non-throwing shoulder in November, Ohtani has bounced back nicely while filling an everyday role at designated hitter for the Dodgers to begin the season, slashing .273/.377/.500 with four home runs and four stolen bases through 17 games. He still has yet to make his debut on the mound for the Dodgers while ramping back up from his September 2023 Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, but he's been gradually increasing the volume and intensity of his bullpen sessions and could be ready to face hitters within the next few weeks. He remains without a clear timeline to make his first appearance as a pitcher with the Dodgers, and because of the impact he provides as a hitter, Ohtani won't be a candidate to go out on a minor-league rehab assignment to get stretched out. Instead, he'll have to build up as a pitcher through simulated games, which the Dodgers will have to strategically map out so as not to interfere with his regular routine as the team's DH.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Double shy of cycle Monday
Rotowire
Ohtani went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer, a triple and a walk in Monday's 6-4 loss the Nationals.
The Japanese superstar was a perfect 3-for-3 against southpaw starter MacKenzie Gore. After leading the game off with an infield single, Ohtani slugged a 378-foot homer in the third inning to tie the game at 2-2. The three-time MVP wasn't finished, however, returning in the fifth to hit his first triple of the season. Ohtani looks headed for another great season, as he's opened with a .311/.436/.644 slash line across 55 plate appearances.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Tossing another bullpen Saturday
Rotowire
Ohtani (elbow) is throwing a bullpen session Saturday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Ohtani threw what was described as a "light" bullpen in the outfield Thursday, and Saturday's session is slated to be "fuller," per Plunkett. The two-way star doesn't yet have a timeline to face hitters, but he's back to ramping up after slowing down his throwing progression in the early part of March as he focused on his preparations as a hitter. If Ohtani's throwing rehab doesn't experience any additional delays, he could make his first MLB pitching appearance since 2023 at some point in May.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Timeline to face hitters uncertain
Rotowire
Ohtani (elbow) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and is scheduled for another Saturday, but there's not yet a projected date for him to face live hitters, Cody Snavely of DodgersBeat reports.
Ohtani resumed tossing bullpens last Saturday when he threw 25 pitches (all fastballs) in his first session off a mound since Feb. 25. The two-way star then threw a "light" session Wednesday, and he's scheduled for a "heavier" bullpen Saturday, according to manager Dave Roberts. However, there remains no definitive timeframe for when Ohtani will begin throwing to hitters, and the organization appears intent to practice patience in the Japanese hurler's ramp-up. Roberts said in late March that he is hoping to get at least 18-to-20 starts from Ohtani this season, per Valentina Martinez of SI.com, which would likely require him to begin pitching in games by mid-May.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Walks it off on bobblehead night
Rotowire
Ohtani went 3-for-5 with a solo walk-off home run in Wednesday's 6- 5 win against Atlanta.
Ohtani took center stage on the night the Dodgers handed out a bobblehead to fans commemorating last season's MVP award. The superstar slugger managed a pair of singles across his first four plate appearances, then ended the game in dramatic fashion with a walk-off blast to center field against Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias in the ninth inning. Ohtani has three homers -- all of the solo variety -- through eight contests this season after going deep a career-high 54 times during the regular season last year.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Notches first theft of campaign
Rotowire
Ohtani went 0-for-2 with two runs, two walks and a stolen base in a 7-3 win against Detroit on Saturday.
Though he ended the game without a hit for the first time this season, Ohtani drew two walks and scored twice. The superstar slugger also got into the stolen base column for the first time on the campaign with a swipe of second base in the seventh inning. After becoming MLB's first 50-50 player last year, there's some expectation that Ohtani will be less active on the basepaths this season, but Saturday served as a reminder that he's still capable of making an impact in that category.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Goes deep in home opener
Rotowire
Ohtani went 2-or-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's 5-4 victory versus the Tigers.
Ohtani provided a key insurance run in the seventh inning with a solo blast to left field. The superstar slugger is off to a hot start to the 2025 campaign, slashing .417/.500/1.000 with two homers and two RBI through three contests. He's yet to attempt a stolen base and is expected to run less following last season's historic 50-50 campaign, but Ohtani still figures to be one of the baseball's most impactful bats and is also expected to resume throwing off the mound during the upcoming weekend as he works toward returning to pitching in games for the first time since 2023.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Set for bullpen session
Rotowire
Ohtani is set to throw a bullpen session Saturday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Ohtani will throw off the mound for the first time since Feb. 25 as he gears up to make his return to the Dodgers' rotation at some point this season. The 30-year-old last pitched in 2023 with the Angels, posting a 3.14 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 167 strikeouts over 132 innings in 23 starts. It's unclear if the team has a timeline for Ohtani's official return to the mound, but the expectation remains that it'll be during the 2025 campaign.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Launches first homer of 2025
Rotowire
Ohtani went 1-for-3 with solo home run and two walks during Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Cubs in Tokyo.
After hitting a career-high 54 homers during the regular season in his first year as a Dodger in 2024, Ohtani didn't take long to deliver his first long ball of this season. The three-time MVP reached multiple times in each of the first two games of the season and has gone 3-for-8 with two walks, a double, a homer and three runs scored.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Scores twice Opening Day
Rotowire
Ohtani went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and a strikeout in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Cubs in Tokyo.
The Japanese superstar was unable to deliver a home run in the first official game back in his home country, but he still produced as a leadoff man in the season opener. Ohtani recently slowed his pitching progression in order to ramp up his preparations as a hitter for Opening Day, but he's still expected to join the starting rotation sometime in May. For now, the 30-year-old will continue to serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter as he works his way back from November shoulder surgery.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: At-bats, steals likely down in 2025
Rotowire
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said earlier this spring that he doesn't think Ohtani will receive as many plate appearances or steal as many bases this season, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
Roberts noted that, from a "performance per plate appearance" perspective, he expects the reigning National League MVP to be just as productive. However, because Ohtani is pitching this season, the manager plans to play him a bit less at designated hitter, and he does not anticipate Ohtani being as aggressive on the bases because "he does need to pitch and (save) his legs." Ohtani stole 59 bases in 2024 after stealing a total of 57 over the previous three seasons. While Ohtani is probably not going to fall back to his previous levels, it does sound like fantasy managers should not be expecting him to run wild in 2025. Ohtani, who is coming back from left shoulder surgery, will be ready to DH during the Dodgers' March 18-19 series in Tokyo versus the Cubs and is expected to join the rotation sometime in May.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Slowing down pitching rehab
Rotowire
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed Thursday that Ohtani will not face hitters as a pitcher leading up to the season-opening series in Japan so that he can ramp up his preparations as a hitter, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Ohtani threw his last bullpen Feb. 25. He has continued to playing catch, but the organization is giving him a pause from ramping up his pitching so he can intensify his hitting. Roberts also talked about May as a potential time for Ohtani's return to pitching but added that they "just don't know" when the NL MVP will be able to take the mound, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Homers in first spring at-bat
Rotowire
Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a Cactus League win over the Angels on Friday.
Ohtani didn't take long to remind the baseball world about his 2024 MVP season, as he hit an opposite-field home run on the sixth pitch he saw during his first at-bat this spring. The two-way star's subsequent plate appearances were less dramatic, as he popped out in the second inning and struck out in the fifth. Ohtani is expected to begin the regular season strictly in a hitting role, but manager Dave Roberts said in early February that he expects Ohtani to be pitching in big-league games by May.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Making Cactus League debut Friday
Rotowire
Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) will make his Cactus League debut at designated hitter Friday versus the Angels, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Ohtani has been brought along slowly in camp after November surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder. It's not clear when he might be ready to pitch in a game, but he's ready to hit and is fully expected to serve as the Dodgers' DH for their season-opening set in Tokyo versus the Cubs on March 18 and 19.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Adds cutters in latest bullpen
Rotowire
Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) threw 25 pitches, including some cutters, in a bullpen session Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Manager Dave Roberts described Ohtani's inclusion of cutters in the throwing session as a "big step." Roberts also noted that Ohtani touched 95 mph during the bullpen, which is only a few ticks below his average fastball velocity in 2023, his most recent campaign on the mound. Ohtani appears to be on track to make his highly anticipated debut as a pitcher for the Dodgers sometime around the beginning of May.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Facing live pitching Friday
Rotowire
Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) will face live pitching Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
It hasn't been determined yet whether it will be against a pitcher or a Trajekt machine, but either way it will be the first time Ohtani has swung a bat against live pitching, or at least simulated live pitching from a robot, this spring. Ohtani is being brought along slowly after November surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder, and he is not expected to pitch until around May 1. However, there are no concerns about his availability as a designated hitter for the Dodgers' season-opening set in Tokyo versus the Cubs on March 18 and 19.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Planning to pitch out of windup
Rotowire
Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) has thrown mostly out of a windup during his first two bullpen sessions this spring and plans to continue to do so during games this season, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
When asked if he intends to use a windup during games this year, Ohtani responded, "That's my plan...With increasing the intensity, I do want to see how the body responds, how I respond to it. As of now, that's the plan." Using a windup is a shift from his previous norm, as the two-way star threw almost exclusively out of the stretch during his time on the mound with the Angels. A study published in 2024 concluded that there's no significant difference in velocity or injury risk for pro hurlers pitching out of the stretch versus out of a windup, so there may not be a tangible fantasy impact on Ohtani's decision to change his approach.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Remaining in leadoff spot
Rotowire
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Ohtani will remain the team's leadoff hitter this season, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
He'll be followed by Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez, which is the same top four in the lineup the Dodgers used down the stretch last season when all four were healthy. The reigning National League MVP, Ohtani batted .307/.392/.680 with 35 home runs and 44 stolen bases in 90 regular-season games out of the leadoff spot in 2024.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Hurls 14 pitches in bullpen session
Rotowire
Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) threw 14 pitches in a bullpen session consisting of two-seam and four-seam fastballs Saturday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Per manager Dave Roberts, Ohtani's velocity sat in the 92-to-94 mph range during the throwing session, which pitching coach Mark Prior described as the two-way star "dipping his toe back in the water." The bullpen was Ohtani's first this spring, though he's been using his full arsenal while throwing from flat ground. Ohtani isn't expected to pitch in any Cactus League games and is unlikely to take the mound in a regular-season contest until around early May, but he should be in the Dodgers' lineup as a hitter when the team plays its opening series against the Cubs in Tokyo, Japan on March 18-19.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: First 'pen session set for weekend
Rotowire
Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) said Wednesday that he expects to throw his first bullpen session of spring training this weekend, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Ohtani is on the mend from November surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder as well as the September 2023 Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, but the two-way phenom took batting practice Wednesday without issue and will be ready to serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter for the team's two-game season-opening set in Tokyo versus the Cubs on March 18 and 19. Manager Dave Roberts recently suggested that the 30-year-old could make his 2025 debut as a pitcher at some point in May, as Ohtani is already throwing his full repertoire off flat ground during camp and will take another step forward by getting on a mound this weekend. However, Roberts noted earlier Wednesday that Ohtani won't be cleared to pitch in any Cactus League games, so the four-time All-Star looks as though he'll have to gradually build up his pitch count through simulated games this spring and during the early portion of the season while he continues to play regularly as a DH.
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