When Will Shohei Ohtani Pitch for Dodgers? ‘It’s Going To Be A While’ Says Dave Roberts
The Los Angeles Dodgers are still navigating what it means to have a two-way player in Shohei Ohtani. While Ohtani has flourished as the team’s designated hitter to open the season, he is still preparing to make his pitching debut in a Dodgers uniform.
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However, Ohtani on the mound won’t happen anytime soon, according to manager Dave Roberts.
“It’s going to be a while,” Roberts said, via The Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett. “I think you start with the natural progression of a bullpen. You’ve got to kind of mix in different pitches to then face hitters again. It’s a start. I don’t have a timeline. I don’t think anyone does. We’re a ways away.”
There are several challenges that come with having a two-way player on the roster, and the Dodgers don’t have a clear steer on its exact timeline with Ohtani’s return to the mound.
“It’s more making sure we pick back up where we were before and feel confident that the respite, the pull back, was right and he’s building back up the right way with his delivery,” he said. “I think once he starts facing hitters and does two, three up-downs (simulated innings) then I think you can start penciling some things out. But right now, it’s just monitoring things.”
The Dodgers don’t need Ohtani on the mound. L.A. won it all with Ohtani being the Dodgers’ exclusive designated hitter, and the defending champions have a 5-0 record to start the season without the NL reigning MVP on the mound.
Nonetheless, Roberts did say Ohtani will pitch at some point in 2025.
“I think we’re still a very good club with him as (only) a DH,” Roberts said. “We still want him to pitch. He wants to pitch. I think he can handle it. He’s done it in the past. I think the question is how much do we need him right now and I think we’ve answered that. His health is paramount, most important. So whenever that time is and his buildup reaches its full maturation, he’ll pitch for us.”
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Photo Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
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