Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will not be taking part in a bullpen session on Saturday, July 25th, delaying any possible return to the mound.
Ohtani completed a bullpen session on Wednesday, and by all accounts, it went well and proceeded as usual.
“It looked good. Feels good. We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow,” Prior said after the pitching session. “I mean, there’s not too much to elaborate on. But he’s going to hit tonight, and go to work.”
Manager Dave Roberts shared that if Ohtani ended up feeling good and responding well to the bullpen work, the Japanese star could do another one in New York on Saturday.
The Dodgers have been very careful in terms of listening to Ohtani, with Roberts making it clear that they will always play it safe with their lead man and be mindful of how much wear he gets with his two-way play.
“I think we all believe that you don’t know more than the player,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He knows his body so well. If he feels he’s ready to get off a mound, then we support it. I think for us, it’s more not trying to force him or push him.”
In a show of good faith, Ohtani did not hide discomfort in his knee, and now, he is going to push it down the line.
What is next for Shohei Ohtani?
Ohtani was “antsy” to return as a pitcher, but he did not let his desires get in the way of his viability in the postseason.
“Just doesn’t feel 100 percent because I think that the last ‘pen that he had, there was a little bit of regression. So we want to make sure that that doesn’t happen again,” Roberts shared on Saturday.
The Dodgers have an off-day on Monday and return for a homestand next week. He should end up throwing a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium next week at some point.
How Ohtani’s body reacts to that session will be the ultimate determining factor for what his timeline looks like, but Dave Roberts is still confident that Ohtani will pitch at some point this season, possibly next month.
One Response
He keeps trying to take an extra base the last two games and has bee thrown out both times. The Dodgers could have gotten more runs! The coaches need to tell him not to over do it on the base paths! DUH! That I am sure is effecting his return to pitching too!