For the first time in nearly two years, Shohei Ohtani is back where he belongs—on a major league mound.
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Sunday night that their two-way superstar and reigning National League MVP will start Monday night’s series opener against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.
Shohei Ohtani will be the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers tomorrow night against the San Diego Padres.
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It will be the first time Ohtani has pitched in a big league game since August 23, 2023, when he exited early against the Reds while still wearing the red and white of the Angels.
Twenty-two months and one elbow surgery later, Ohtani is finally ready to toe the rubber again—this time in Dodger blue.
“Shohei is getting antsy, which is a good thing for us,” said Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts after Sunday’s 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. “He’s ready. It’s time to go.”
The plan is for Ohtani to serve as an opener, likely throwing one or two innings before giving way to right-hander Ben Casparius, who will handle the bulk of the workload. The strategy is as cautious as it is electric. For the Dodgers, it’s less about stretching Ohtani out and more about finally letting the world witness something we’ve all been waiting for.
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“He’s going to open for us,” said Roberts of the plan for Ohtani. “The live simulated games have run its course and he’s ready to make his debut on the mound. “It’s great for the game. I’m excited for Shohei”
Ohtani told reporters through a translator after his two-homer performance on Saturday night that he was ready to get back on the mound in a big league game.
Shohei Ohtani on his two-homer night tonight for the Dodgers, his recent home run drought prior to that, how his pitching is going and if he’s close to returning to the mound, and if he really will make a start before the All Star break. pic.twitter.com/zCb75T0Y1d
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A pitcher. A slugger. A $700 million miracle.
It’s not often a Monday night in June becomes appointment television—but when the unicorn returns to the hill, the sport pays attention.
Ohtani, 29, underwent surgery on his right elbow on September 19, 2023, after tearing his UCL for the second time in his career. He had previously undergone Tommy John surgery in 2018. Since signing a historic 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December, the Japanese sensation has focused solely on hitting—until now.
His ramp-up began quietly behind the scenes. He paused pitching activities after a mound session in February to focus on Opening Day as a hitter, then resumed bullpens on March 29. Just last Tuesday, in San Diego, he faced live hitters for the first time, throwing 44 pitches over three simulated innings.
It wasn’t long before he let the team know he was ready for more.
“He said doing the three innings live is taxing on his body,” said Roberts about why the team changed course from their original plan of letting Ohtani ramp up to five or more innings in simulated games with his debut expected to come sometime after the All-Star break. “He’s ready to pitch in a major league game, and he let us know that.”
While Ohtani hasn’t pitched a single inning this season, he’s still been the Dodgers’ most valuable player—and arguably the face of baseball.
Through June 15, he leads the National League with a 1.035 OPS, while batting .297 with 25 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. He’s made the extraordinary look routine. Moonshot homers. Blistering line drives. Game-winning sprints around the bases. Every time he steps into the batter’s box, there’s a hum in the air.
And now, that hum is heading to the mound.
The timing of Ohtani’s return couldn’t be more crucial.
The Dodgers are scraping together bullpen games just to survive a brutal wave of injuries. Roki Sasaki, the heralded 23-year-old rookie from Japan, hasn’t pitched since May 9 due to a right shoulder impingement and is likely out long-term. Former Cy Young winner Blake Snell is battling shoulder inflammation. Tyler Glasnow, arguably L.A.’s ace this season, just landed on the IL with the same diagnosis.
Sasaki’s status, in particular, is murky. He began a throwing program earlier this month but felt discomfort again last week and has since been shut down.
“He’s just not feeling strong,” Roberts said. “We’re not going to push him.”
With innings at a premium and the postseason picture beginning to sharpen, Ohtani’s return—however brief—offers a glimmer of relief and a whole lot of hope.
This isn’t just about one inning, or even two.
This is about history in real time.
Ohtani’s presence on a big-league mound reminds us of what’s possible when perseverance meets transcendent talent. It’s a story that stretches from the Tokyo Dome to Chavez Ravine, one filled with setbacks, surgeries, speculation, and now—redemption.
“This is very exciting,” added Roberts of Ohtani making his Dodgers debut on the mound. “I’m a baseball fan first. The anticipation here for the game, man it’s going to be bananas.”
Come Monday night, when the No. 17 jersey jogs out from the Dodgers dugout and takes that slow, deliberate walk to the mound, the roar won’t just be for a pitch.
It’ll be for the moment.
A moment 659 days in the making.
A moment worth every second of the wait.
