Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is “unlikely” to pitch when the team opens its season against the Chicago Cubs in Japan next March. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed the update on Monday, citing Ohtani’s ongoing recovery from elbow surgery, reported by REUTERS.
“Although it would be an incredible moment,” Roberts said, as reported by The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya , “Ohtani almost certainly won’t be ready to pitch in Tokyo.” Ohtani underwent surgery at the end of the 2023 season to repair a torn UCL in his pitching arm. Additionally, after the World Series, he had a procedure on his left shoulder to address a torn labrum.
While fans in Japan might be disappointed by the news, there’s still a silver lining: Ohtani is expected to be ready to hit at the start of the season. Roberts emphasized the team will remain “nimble” in managing Ohtani’s workload. “We’ll come up with a plan to ramp him up so he can start pitching again,” Roberts said.
Ohtani’s absence from the mound aligns with the Dodgers’ broader strategy for his return. The team plans for the two-way superstar to resume pitching during the 2025 season. He didn’t pitch at all last year following his elbow injury but continued to shine as a hitter, contributing significantly to the Dodgers’ historic season.
Ohtani’s 2023 campaign was nothing short of legendary. Despite not pitching, he smashed his way into the record books, becoming the first MLB player to hit 50 home runs, steal 50 bases, win an MVP award, and secure a World Series title in the same year. That success came after signing a record-breaking $700 million contract—an unprecedented figure overshadowed briefly by a gambling scandal involving his former interpreter.
In his last full pitching season in 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani posted a 3.14 ERA with a 10-5 record over 23 starts. Those numbers highlight why fans and analysts are eager to see him back on the mound.
For now, it remains unclear exactly when Ohtani will resume pitching, and Roberts refrained from setting a timeline. “We’re probably too far from the start of the season for a specific plan,” he said, “but as long as everything keeps trending in the right direction, he’ll be back in the Dodgers’ rotation very soon.”
Ohtani fans around the world—and especially in Japan—will have to wait a little longer for his pitching return. But with his bat ready to deliver in March, there’s still plenty to look forward to as the Dodgers head into the new season.