Shohei Ohtani Nearing Impressive Return to Dodgers’ World-Class Rotation

Shohei Ohtani has recently made significant progress in his journey to return to the mound after contending with a lingering left knee injury.

Ahead of Friday’s matchup at Dodger Stadium, the dynamic two-way player took a major leap by completing his first bullpen session in over three weeks. Ohtani pitched from the Dodgers’ left-field bullpen just a few hours prior to taking on the role of designated hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers, marking a crucial step forward.

The stalwart pitcher has not started a game since July 3, as he continues to battle a knee issue that began troubling him in mid-June. During the All-Star break, he received a lubricant injection in a bid to expedite his return to the Dodgers’ rotation. Unfortunately, after a bullpen session on July 22 in Philadelphia, his knee regressed, forcing the Dodgers to put a temporary halt on any throwing activities for two weeks.

Last week, Ohtani returned to the field for pregame catch sessions, completing three such exercises on the grass in the days that followed.

Earlier this week, Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts announced that Ohtani was nearly ready for another bullpen session, nurturing the team’s anticipation of seeing the four-time MVP resume pitching duties before season’s end.

Now that Ohtani has checked off that important box, his road map to returning to the Dodgers’ rotation should be clearer.

According to Roberts, the right-hander will likely need “a few ‘pens” before he faces hitters again in live batting practice. Once he completes a live BP, however, he could be ready to return to game-action, where he will be built up one inning at a time –– similar to his midseason ramp-up last year when he was returning from a second career Tommy John surgery.

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