Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Pitching Return: Everything to Know
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The Los Angeles Dodgers sent shockwaves through the baseball world when the team announced late Sunday night that Shohei Ohtani would be the starting pitcher for Monday’s series opener against the San Diego Padres.
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Dodgers ticket prices for Monday’s game have soared since the team broke the news of Ohtani’s imminent return to the mound. According to TickPick, the site has sold three-times the amount of tickets for the rivalry matchup since the Dodgers announced Ohtani would take the mound.
The hype surrounding Ohtani’s return to the mound comes after a remarkable 2024 season, his first with the Dodgers. Ohtani invented the 50 home run, 50 stolen base club, finishing with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases.
The Dodgers superstar served exclusively as the team’s designated hitter as he recovered from surgery to repair a torn UCL. He unanimously won the National League Most Valuable Player and won the first World Series title of his career.
In 2025, Ohtani looks to return to his “norm” as a two-way star.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 25: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after a pitch during live batting practice before the game between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles… NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 25: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after a pitch during live batting practice before the game between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field on May 25, 2025 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Ohtani had ACL surgery in 2023 and hasn’t pitched in a MLB game since.
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When Was the Last Time Ohtani Pitched?
Ohtani hasn’t thrown off the rubber since August 23, 2023, where he tossed a pair of strikeouts over 1.1 innings. He also posted two runs batted in as a designated hitter that same day.
In September, Ohtani underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL.
What Will Ohtani’s Pitch Count Look Like?
Manager Dave Roberts revealed Ohtani will serve as an opener for the Dodgers Monday night. Since the two-way star isn’t fully built up yet, he likely won’t pitch more than two innings but the Dodgers have not specified an exact number of pitches.
“Shohei is getting antsy,” Roberts said Sunday. “He’s ready to pitch in a big-league game. My guess an inning to start.”
The Dodgers have slow-played Ohtani’s throwing progression since spring camp, and the team would not push the 30-year-old in his first start back. However, Ohtani is certainly diving head first into pitching as he will face a Padres lineup that features Fernando Tatis Jr., three-time batting champion Luis Arraez, and Manny Machado.
Does Ohtani Hit When He Pitches?
Ohtani will serve as the Dodgers’ starting pitcher and designated hitter, just like he did with the Angels. However, he is only serving as the Dodgers’ opener for Monday’s start so the expectation is that he won’t pitch for very long. However, there is a possibility that Ohtani retires the top of the Padres order and proceeds to hit a home run in the bottom of the first inning.
All eyes will be on the Dodgers two-star as he takes the mound Monday night as Ohtani has earned the reputation of being a unicorn in Major League Baseball.
What Are Ohtani’s Pitching Stats?
Ohtani hasn’t pitched since August 2023, when he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander has a 3.01 ERA across parts of five seasons with the Halos. In 2022, Ohtani finished fourth in Cy Young voting when he struck out 219 batters across 166 innings that season.
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