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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MAY 04: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts with his teammates at the end of the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on May 04, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to play like World Series contenders, as manager Dave Roberts’ club looks to become the first repeat champions in MLB since the New York Yankees 25 years ago.

Los Angeles enters Thursday not only atop the NL West standings at 25-12 but their mark is the best in baseball as well.

Despite a rash of injuries — primarily to their pitching staff — the Dodgers have scored the third-most runs in MLB (203), are 12th in fewest runs allowed (150) and have the fifth-best run differential (+53). The team has been particularly dominant at home, with their 15-3 record being the best in the sport.

While two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is putting up MVP numbers again, Los Angeles has only been able to reap the benefits of the four-time All-Star’s bat this season, as he continues to recover from his September 2023 elbow surgery.

Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times gave an update on Ohtani’s timeline for a piece published on Thursday and said that the three-time Cy Young Award winner likely won’t be back on the mound in a game for at least a couple of more months.

Ohtani Not Expected to Pitch Until After All-Star Break

With a host of other members of the projected starting rotation either starting the season on the shelf or suffering injuries this spring, the Dodgers have primarily relied on newcomer Roki Sasaki and fellow Japanese righthander Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

While former All-Star Tony Gonsolin recently returned from injury and has looked sharp in his first two outings of the year and future Hall-of-Famer Clayton Kershaw is seemingly on the cusp of returning to the majors, Ohtani isn’t expected to be pitching in a big-league game until this summer.

“This could explain why the Dodgers are taking their time with Ohtani, who isn’t expected to pitch until after the All-Star break, according to a person familiar with the team’s thinking but not authorized to speak publicly,” Hernandez wrote. “Mindful of Ohtani’s long-term health, the team has taken a methodical approach with the two-way player, limiting him to a light bullpen session in the middle of the week and a regular one on Saturdays. Ohtani still isn’t throwing any sliders at the advice of the medical staff, manager Dave Roberts told reporters last week.”

With Dodgers’ Injury Problems, Could Mets, Other Contender Take NL Pennant?

Among the slew of prominent Dodgers hurlers who’ve gone down with an injury this season is two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who was placed on the 15-day IL due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder in early April. Snell signed a five-year, $182 million deal with Los Angeles in late November after spending one season with the rival San Francisco Giants.

2024 NL All-Star Tyler Glasnow was also recently placed on the IL with shoulder inflammation and reliever Evan Phillips (who led the team in saves in 2023 and 2024) was put on the IL on Wednesday with right forearm discomfort.

With Sasaki and Yamamoto dealing atop the starting rotation and the lineup mashing (and mostly healthy), fans would be foolish to count out the defending champions.

Other contenders like the New York Mets (24-14) and San Diego Padres (23-13) have gotten off to good starts as well, and some — like former Mets All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes — believe that Los Angeles could be dethroned this fall.

During an interview with Heavy last week, Reyes said that the Mets are “definitely” World Series contenders and while the Dodgers are still the “team to beat,” Ohtani and company may be “in trouble” come October.

Victor Barbosa covers MLB and the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics. He previously covered the NBA and NFL for Heavy in 2021, with an emphasis on the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Buffalo Bills. Based in New York, he has covered local and professional sports news for Yardbarker, FanSided, Syracuse.com and WEEI. More about Victor Barbosa