Shohei Ohtani Injury Update: Dave Roberts reveals timeline for Dodgers star's pitching return

Shohei Ohtani will be making his return to the mound for the first time since signing a whopping $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He will be facing live hitters on Saturday as he has not been on the mound ever since undergoing right ulnar collateral ligament surgery in September 2023.

Dave Roberts reveals when Shohei Ohtani will be making his pitching return

According to several MLB sources, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made the announcement. It comes as a major boost for the Dodgers and also marks Ohatni's return to pitching.

There is as such no dates revealed when Shohei Ohtani will make his comeback on the mound, but many expect him to be ready by the All-Star break in July. There is still no update given on which players will Ohtani face in Citi Field before the Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Mets game.

Despite being away from the mound, Shohei Ohtani has continued to shine at the plate in games. He is currently tied with Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Schwarber with 17 home runs in the Major League Baseball (MLB).

Shohei Ohtani's recovery has been slow but it has been steady. The Los Angeles Dodgers have taken all the necessary precautions under the guidance of Dr. Neal ElAttrache. He is the same doctor who has performed the Tommy John surgery and the internal brace procedure on Ohtani.

Last Saturday, Shohei Ohtani threw 50 pitches, in comparison to his 35 in the previous session, which was a major improvement. Apart from his ligament surgery in 2023, he also had left shoulder labrum surgery in November 2024.

Dave Roberts on Shohei Ohtani's pitching progress

Dave Roberts spoke that there have been discussions and steps taken to get Shohei Ohtani ready for the mound once again. Especially after his postseason injury, the team has been adamant of not letting him face hitters until he is fully ready.

I think we’re all anxious to see how it looks to hitters. But when he decides to ramp it up, I’m very anxious [to see] that, too. But it’s all on his schedule, manager Dave Roberts said.

It really is. When he’s going to introduce the slider to hitters, when he wants to really ramp up the velocity, it’s all between him and the doctors.

Not just this, Shohei Ohtani was seen throwing some sliders and curveballs on Wednesday at the Dodgers Stadium. With Ohtani ready to face live hitters, the Dodgers would get an exact idea of his return timeline.