Shohei Ohtani hasn't lost sight of his unicorn-like ways despite being relegated to one-way duty for much of the past two years.
The Dodgers supernova was baseball's grandest renaissance man prior to undergoing elbow surgery in the fall of 2023, offering a mystifying blend of velocity, precision, power, and speed.
Despite being on the mend — at least as a pitcher — Ohtani's maintained his place in the upper echelons of MLB. He inked the biggest contract in big-league history in the offseason of 2024, then proceeded to record one of the greatest power-speed seasons in history en route to his third MVP. Then came the postseason, a fruitful spell of contests that saw him hoist his first World Series crown.
Life has been good for Ohtani despite being kept off the mound, but his desire to return to his two-way best remains as firm as ever.
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With that, here's the latest on Ohtani's return to the hill, a spectacle set to take over Dodger Stadium before long.
Shohei Ohtani pitching return
Ohtani is slated to make his long-awaited return to the mound on Monday when the Dodgers take on the Padres, manager Dave Roberts announced on Sunday.
Los Angeles' skipper had intended for Ohtani to throw another live batting practice session this week, but the reigning MVP was "getting antsy," Roberts said. The Japanese supernova lobbied team officials to let him make a short stint in a real game instead.
“He’s ready to pitch in a major-league game,” Roberts said, via the Orange County Register. “He let us know that.”
After deliberating with pitching coach Mark Prior and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, Roberts and Co. came to a decision: They'll turn Ohtani loose against the Padres, if only for a fleeting moment.
“The live, simulated, or whatever, sort of ran its course,” Roberts said.
Ohtani has thrown three simulated batting practice sessions in as many weeks. His most recent appearance saw him pitch three innings and toss 44 pitches last Tuesday.
“It’s very exciting," Roberts said. "For me, I’m still a baseball fan first. I really am. And the anticipation here for the game is, man, it’s going to be bananas when it happens. There’s been a lot of anticipation. I think we’ve done it the right way as far as our process, communicating with Shohei and feeling good.”
Ohtani is slated to pitch an inning or two before giving way to right-hander Ben Casparius, Roberts said. He'll add to that total as he builds up appearances, likely once a week up until the All-Star break. Ohtani's velocity at around 95 mph during bullpen sessions in spring training. His eagerness to strut his stuff, even for short bursts, has Los Angeles' brass confident in its approach, even if it is a deviation from its initial plans.
“A week ago, we were talking about another live (batting practice) and potentially getting to four innings, things like that,” Roberts said. “But the conversations, the confidence that he has, it’s time to go.”
Shohei Ohtani pitching stats
Ohtani has accomplished plenty as a slugger and base-stealer. But he is arguably at his best when he's throwing; the 31-year-old placed fourth in AL Cy Young voting in 2022 and has four sub-3.31 ERA campaigns under his belt.
Here's a look at Ohtani's pitching numbers since joining MLB in 2018:
| Season | Games | Record | ERA | Innings pitched | WHIP | Strikeouts | Walks | Hits | Earned runs |
| 2018 | 10 | 4-2 | 3.31 | 51.2 | 1.16 | 63 | 22 | 38 | 19 |
| 2020 | 2 | 0-1 | 37.80 | 1.2 | 6.60 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 7 |
| 2021 | 23 | 9-2 | 3.18 | 130.1 | 1.09 | 156 | 44 | 98 | 46 |
| 2022 | 28 | 15-9 | 2.33 | 166.0 | 1.01 | 219 | 44 | 124 | 43 |
| 2023 | 23 | 10-5 | 3.14 | 132.0 | 1.06 | 167 | 55 | 85 | 46 |
| Totals | 86 | 38-19 | 3.01 | 481.2 | 1.08 | 608 | 173 | 348 | 161 |