1 of 5 | Shohei Ohtani will pitch for the first time since 2023 when he starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Diego Padres on Monday in Los Angeles. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani will return to the mound for the first time since 2023, with a start against the San Diego Padres on Monday in Los Angeles, the team announced.
“Shohei is getting antsy, which is a good thing for us,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Sunday in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers will host the Padres at 10:10 p.m. EDT at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani, who leads the American League with 25 home runs, went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA over 23 starts in 2023. He underwent a second surgery on his right elbow in September of that year and hasn’t pitched since Aug. 23, 2023.
Ohtani is expected to pitch for one or two innings in his highly anticipated Dodgers pitching debut.
“The anticipation here for the game is, man, it’s going to be bananas when it happens,” Roberts said.
“There’s been a lot of anticipation. I think we’ve done it the right way as far as our process. … I think that it’s great for the game. It’s good for our team. Our guys are excited about this potential. Obviously, most importantly, I’m excited for Shohei.”
The right-handed pitcher went 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA over the first 86 starts of his career, all of which came with the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani is hitting .297 with 41 RBIs and 11 stolen bases, in addition to his 25 home runs this season. He also leads MLB with 73 runs scored and leads the American League in slugging percentage (.642), on-base plus slugging percentage (1.034) and total bases (179).
The Dodgers (43-29) lead the National League West, with a two-game edge on the San Francisco Giants (41-31). The Padres sit in third place (39-31), three games behind the division-leading Dodgers.
