Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Unlikely to Pitch in Opener Amid Injury Rehab, per Roberts

Shohei Ohtani's eventual return to the mound isn't going to come at the start of the 2025 season.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Monday it was "very unlikely" that Ohtani would be able to pitch by then, though added he expects him to be ready to go as a hitter.

The superstar slugger had arthroscopic surgery for a torn labrum in his left shoulder in November.

The Dodgers have little incentive to rush Ohtani back to the starting rotation.

For one, he's already arguably the most impactful offensive force in baseball, winning the NL MVP after hitting .310 with 54 homers, 130 RBI, 134 runs, 59 stolen bases and a 1.036 OPS. And the Dodgers have already built a strong rotation, adding Blake Snell to a mix that also includes Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, among others.

General manager Brandon Gomes told reporters in November that the Dodgers won't rush him back to the mound.

"I think there's a lot of questions there of making sure that he is in a good place," he said. "I don't want to speculate on any of that. We're just [keeping the] big picture in mind and making sure that, working backwards, [we're doing] what puts us in the best position for him to be taking down innings in October. And however that falls out, we'll be happy with."

Given Ohtani's prowess as a hitter, however, it's easy to forget that he's 38-19 in his career as a pitcher with a 3.01 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 608 strikeouts in 481.2 innings. He isn't going to give a team 200 innings a year, but he is an excellent option as part of a rotation, and his two-way status makes him the most unique MLB superstar since Babe Ruth.

The Dodgers know the value of having plenty of pitching options in the holster after being ravaged by injuries in 2024. Getting back Ohtani as a pitcher will eventually help in that regard, but at least to start the 2025 season, the Dodgers will need to call on depth from elsewhere.