The Los Angeles Dodgers are pumping the brakes on Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound.
On Thursday, The Athletic reported Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says Ohtani's progress has been slowed a bit to give him a break. Ohtani is still working his way back from a hybrid Tommy John surgery he had in September 2023, as well as offseason surgery on the labrum in his non-throwing shoulder.
While Ohtani has not stopped throwing, the team is attempting to manage his workload.
"We just felt that to intensify the bullpens alongside of the intensity of the games wasn’t smart," Roberts said. "So we just wanted to kind of slow-play it."
Ohtani won't face hitters before the Dodgers head to Japan for their season-opening series against the Chicago Cubs. The team had been targeting May for the star's return to the mound, but that appears to be off now.
"I just feel, and we all feel, (that we’re) just trying to make it a broad time to return," Roberts said. "We just don’t know. And so I think that when he’s ready, when the process, the progression, as it’s going on, we’ll know. But I don’t want to put any kind of expectation on you guys, or Shohei."
Ohtani has been working as a designated hitter in spring training and has five hits in 12 at-bats with a home run. In 2024, Ohtani won the National League MVP award and led his team to a World Series title in his first season with the Dodgers. He hit .310, with 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, 59 stolen bases and an OPS of 1.036.
It doesn't seem like we'll see him on the mound any time soon, though.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dave Roberts Gives Update on Shohei Ohtani's Return to Pitching.