Last time Shohei Ohtani pitched: Revisiting the 2023 injury and timeline for return to mound

Shohei Ohtani was so good as a hitter last season, baseball fans forgot that he was missing the other half of his game.

The reigning NL MVP will make his return to the mound on Monday night, starting for the Dodgers as an opener versus the Padres. It's been nearly two years (663 days to be exact), since Ohtani last pitched in an MLB game.

Like pretty much everything Ohtani does on a baseball field, he's been a unicorn recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2023. With his importance to Los Angeles as a designated hitter, the team couldn't just send him to Triple-A for some rehab starts. To ramp up, he's only been throwing live batting practice and simulated games.

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That shouldn't be much of a hindrance to one of the best pitchers in the game however. In 2022, the last time his arm was fully healthy, Ohtani posted a 2.33 ERA with 219 strikeouts in 166 innings pitched for the Angels. The league might not be ready to face the duel-threat Ohtani poses again.

Here's a look at the last time Shohei Ohtani pitched.

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Last time Shohei Ohtani pitched

Ohtani last pitched in a Major League game on Aug. 23, 2023, when he got hurt during a start for the Angels in the first game of a doubleheader against the Reds.

After he skipped his previous scheduled start due to right arm fatigue, Ohtani started off the game looking sharp on the mound, tossing a 1-2-3 first inning. In the second inning, however, he threw a 2-2 fastball to Christian Encarnacion-Strand and looked into the Angels' dugout. Manager Phil Nevin and head athletic trainer Mike Frostad immediately jogged to the mound, and after a brief conversation, Ohtani was removed from the game.

The Japanese star did not pitch for the rest of the season, but he continued to hit until Sep. 3, when he suffered an oblique strained. That forced him out for the rest of the year, and Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery on Sept. 19.

MORE: Is Shohei Ohtani the GOAT? Where his 2024 season ranks among the best all-time

Is Shohei Ohtani pitching tonight?

Yes, Ohtani will make his return to the mound tonight as an opener against the Padres. After rehabbing from 2023 Tommy John surgery, his arm is finally ready for a Major League game.

Shohei Ohtani will be the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers tomorrow night against the San Diego Padres.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 16, 2025

It's been nearly two years since Ohtani last took the bump, and the Dodgers are likely going to be cautious with his pitch counts and innings this season. He's been one of the best hitters in baseball this season, leading the National League in home runs with 25. 

MORE: How tall is Shohei Ohtani? Inside Dodgers star's height, weight

Shohei Ohtani return timeline

Ohtani's return timeline from his second Tommy John surgery has been anything but normal, considering he can still be an elite player with his bat. He signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers before the 2024 season — the richest contract in pro sports at the time — and then proceeded to be the best hitter in the National League, becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season. 

Ohtani also started throwing in May of 2024 when his arm was ready, and he's been progressing to Monday's first trip to the mound against San Diego ever since. Here's a quick look at Ohtani's return timeline from his 2023 Tommy John surgery.

Sept. 19, 2023: Ohtani undergoes the second Tommy John surgery of his career after tearing his UCL in August. He will be eligible for free agency at the conclusion of the season. 

May 27, 2024: After signing with the Dodgers in the offseason, it's reported that Ohtani has begun throwing from 60 feet again, reaching 80 mph. "Just progressively increasing the distance," Ohtani said through an interpreter before a game the Mets. "Usually anywhere from 60-70 pitches, in that distance. Just continuing to increase the distance and the pitches, and just seeing where that goes."

Feb. 25, 2025:  Ohtani pauses his arm rehab to prepare as a hitter for the Dodgers' opening series against the Cubs in Tokyo.

April 12, 2025: Ohtani throws around 30 pitches his third bullpen session of the year before a home game against the Cubs, as he continues to work his way back to the mound. He built on sessions from March 29 (20 pitches) and April 5 (26 pitches). “Velocity was good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think that we want to keep him right around 90 miles an hour. … He was right where we needed him to be.”

May 31, 2025: Ohtani faces hitters in live batting practice for the second time, throwing 29 pitches at Dodger Stadium before a World Series rematch with the Yankees.

June 15, 2025: The Dodgers announced that Ohtani will start against the Padres on Monday, June 16. He will take the mound in a Major League game for the first time 663 days.

MORE: Did Dodgers ban R&B singer from singing Spanish version of national anthem?

Shohei Ohtani pitching stats

It's been nearly two years since Ohtani pitched in a Major League game, but when his arm was live, he was one of the best hurlers in the game. His numbers are inflated in 2020 — due to him returning from his first Tommy John surgery in an abbreviated season — but he won two MVP awards (2021, 2023) with the Angels due to his two-way abilities. Here's a look at Ohtani's career pitching stats.