Shohei Ohtani's Pitching Return 'A Ways Off' After Elbow Injury, Dodgers' Roberts Says

Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound is getting further delayed.

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported that Ohtani threw his first bullpen since spring training on Saturday. Despite this progression, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts admitted that Ohtani's return is still "a ways off."

Ohtani has not pitched since 2023, when he was still with the Los Angeles Angels. The two-way superstar has continued to play as a designated hitter while his arm recovers from a torn UCL.

Ohtani has a career record of 38-19 on the mound and has compiled a 3.01 ERA. He finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting in 2022.

While his ability to hit and pitch is a very helpful tool, Ohtani's bat alone has been worth every penny of his lucrative contract. He hit .310/.390/.646 with 54 home runs and 130 RBIs in 2024, winning the NL MVP and helping the Dodgers win the World Series.

The Dodgers have a stacked rotation with Yoshinobu Yammamoto, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Dustin May. While Ohtani's inclusion will make it even fiercer, the strong depth also should allow him to proceed with caution and return when he is fully healthy.