Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed whether or not Shohei Ohtani will be able to pitch during the Cactus League games as the Japanese star reports for the first proper day of Spring Training.
Ohtani will have limited time in Glendale, Arizona, due to the World Baseball Classic, so he has already been active in the bullpen, going through his pitching motions.
This spring is the first time Ohtani has had preparation time as both a hitter and a pitcher.
During his first two seasons with the Dodgers, he entered the preseason recovering from Tommy John surgery, which limited his throwing and forced him to focus strictly on his hitting.
Ohtani will now start training camp in his dual role; however, he will leave early to join Team Japan in their preparations for the 2026 WBC, where he will only be hitting rather than pitching.
The tournament has thrown a wrench in his plans despite being healthy, leaving some mystery about what his true workload will be in spring training.
Manager Dave Roberts was asked if Ohtani would realistically get a chance to start a game before departing, but he seemed to be just as confused as Dodgers fans.
“It’s possible. It sort of depends on how long he’s going to be with us. So I don’t really know exactly,” Roberts said.
“I don’t think he has a date yet on when he’s going to join Team Japan. So that’s kind of up in the air right now.”
Dave Roberts Impressed With Ohtani’s Pitching Debut
Despite only getting a limited sample of Ohtani’s full pitching abilities, Roberts came away impressed with what the player offered as a pitcher, especially after a serious procedure that can limit pitchers.
“I think the thing that was most surprising from last year was his command. And I’ll say that he still feels his command wasn’t up to par, but given the Tommy John and what typically command looks like the year after, it was above that,” Roberts said of Ohtani.
“So I think that was impressive, just his ability to command a couple of different breaking balls to change the shape of his breaking balls was pretty impressive.
“And everything he does is with a purpose. So I’m really excited to see with the full off-season to just prepare and not rehab what he can do this year.”
