Major update on Shohei Ohtani's return to pitching for the Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani is erstwhile again dominating National League pitchers this season, but determination is bully quality for opposing hitters: The Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way superstar won't beryllium returning to the mound until sometime aft the July All-Star break.

As reported by USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Dodgers don't spot immoderate crushed to unreserved Ohtani backmost from his 2nd Tommy John country connected his pitching elbow. Ohtani followed his 2018 elbow country with different Tommy John process arsenic a subordinate of the Los Angeles Angels successful September of 2023.

Even with Ohtani's pitching aboriginal successful doubt, helium nevertheless signed a back-loaded $700 cardinal woody with the Dodgers earlier winning the National League's MVP and his archetypal World Series successful 2024.

Now he's hitting an awesome .308 and ranks 3rd among each hitters with 12 location runs connected the season.

'Between him and Barry Bonds, they're the 2 champion players I've ever seen,' told reporters aft Ohtani's game-winning three-run homer against the Diamondbacks connected Friday. 'I played with Barry. But what Shohei does successful the clutch, I've ne'er seen thing similar what helium does successful the clutch.'

Baseball's archetypal existent two-way subordinate since Babe Ruth, Ohtani's elbow issues haven't wounded him astatine the plate, wherever he's averaged 44.5 location runs per play implicit the past 4 years.

But the heavy deferred declaration helium received from the Dodgers suggests the squad does expect him to fulfil his imaginable arsenic some a hitter and a pitcher. And portion lone a fistful of hurlers person enjoyed occurrence aft a 2nd Tommy John Surgery (Texas' Nathan Eovaldi, for instance), Ohtani's instrumentality mightiness beryllium much of a necessity than a luxury.

This year's large pitching acquisition, Blake Snell, and arsenic good arsenic past year's, Tyler Glasnow, are some battling enarthrosis issues successful LA. And portion 1 of Ohtani's countrymen, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, has been astir unhittable, another, Rokie Sasaki, has struggled with his velocity and power successful his archetypal play since coming implicit from Japan.

Furthermore, the once-promising Bobby Miller has been demoted to the minors amid his struggles and seasoned ace Clayton Kershaw remains connected the 60-day injured database with a toed problem, though helium has been pitching with Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets. Most recently, Kershaw pitched 4 innings against Albuquerque, giving up 2 hits, including 1 location run.

Thanks to a beardown bullpen, the Dodgers person a respectable squad earned-run mean of 3.83, but the existent crushed they beryllium atop the NL West standings is an discourtesy that has scored 228 runs entering Monday – much than each but 2 MLB teams.

Ohtani was among the champion pitchers successful shot with the Angeles successful 2021, 2022 and 2023, maintaining an ERA beneath 3.20 and erstwhile finishing 4th successful the Cy Young voting.