Home
Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million megadeal with the Los Angeles Dodgers was supposed to cement his legacy as baseball’s ultimate two-way phenom. But as the 2025 season looms, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over Dodger Stadium. Plagued by a lingering elbow injury that sidelined his pitching arm for over a year, Ohtani faces mounting pressure to reclaim his dual-threat dominance—all while masking what insiders describe as quiet anxiety about his body’s reliability. Is the MLB’s unicorn star doubting his own comeback?
Shohei Ohtani’s defiant stance amid pitching purgatory
Despite skipping formal rehab sessions and remaining confined to designated hitter duties, Shohei Ohtani projected calm during a recent media scrum.
“I actually did it in the past when I had my last injury, so I’m not too worried about it,” he insisted. “It’s just about confirming the actual look and feel as we go through different stages. That’s my main concern.”
But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts isn’t taking chances. With Ohtani still recovering from 2023’s ulnar collateral ligament surgery, Roberts has barred him from pitching during spring training.
“We’re prioritizing the long game,” Roberts told reporters, though fans are growing restless.
The ghost of fastballs past: A career haunted by injuries
For Shohei Ohtani, physical setbacks are tragically familiar. Since his 2018 MLB debut, he’s endured Tommy John surgery, a torn UCL, and chronic blister issues. Yet the two-time MVP remains stubbornly optimistic.
“Injuries are not an unfamiliar subject… I have a better understanding of how to manage it,” he said, emphasizing his focus on “improving his arm” without rushing the process.
Recent glimpses of progress tease a potential revival. During pre-camp workouts, Ohtani’s fastball hit 92-94 mph—a promising sign for a pitcher who hasn’t thrown a competitive inning since joining the Dodgers. “He looked balanced, explosive,” a team insider revealed. “But is it sustainable?”
Dodgers’ Dilemma: Savior or $700M Gamble?
When L.A. acquired Shohei Ohtani from the Angels in 2024, they knew the risks. His elbow injury limited him to DH duties, and while he dazzled at the plate (.287 average, 34 HRs), his absence on the mound left a gaping hole. Now, with a stacked rotation including Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers can afford patience—but Ohtani’s ego might not.
“Everyone wants to see him pitch again,” said ESPN’s Jeff Passan. “The aura of ‘Shotime’ hinges on that duality.” For Dodgers fans, the wait is agonizing. Ohtani’s jersey sales spiked upon his arrival, yet his No. 17 has never graced the pitcher’s mound at Chavez Ravine.
The Dodgers’ cautious approach suggests a summer 2025 pitching return, but whispers persist about lingering doubts. Can Ohtani’s arm withstand the grind of 100-mph fastballs and 450-foot homers? Or will his body betray him again, turning baseball’s boldest experiment into a cautionary tale?
One thing’s clear: The world is watching. And so is Shohei Ohtani—silently calculating every throw, swing, and scar tissue.
