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The good vibes have dissipated quickly for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who began the season with two straight series sweeps but have now lost three games in a row, including two to the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers now sit at 9-4 ahead of Wednesday afternoon's series finale in Washington, not quite on the historic win pace they were to begin the season.
The pitching for the Dodgers has been a question mark over the last few games, and fans are eagerly awaiting the day when superstar Shohei Ohtani is able to retake the mound, in addition to his otherworldly talents at the plate. Ohtani recently raised eyebrows by noting that he's only been able to throw fastballs during bullpen sessions.
Recently, manager Dave Roberts got 100% real on where Ohtani is in the rehabilitation process from the elbow injury that's kept him from being able to pitch.
“I think he's actually in a good place,” Roberts said, per The Associated Press (via ESPN). “He's still playing. It was a collective decision. I think that he understands the goal is to make sure that he is firing on all cylinders toward the end of the season through October. We're in lockstep.”
Ohtani last pitched in August 2023, when he was still a member of the Los Angeles Angels.
A big storyline for the Dodgers
Part of the reason why this year's Dodgers squad was predicted to be one of the most dominant in recent MLB history was the hope that Ohtani at some point would be able to return and pitch for the team.
Roberts also spoke on how the fact that it was not one but two shoulder operations that Ohtani underwent plays into the equation.
“Certainly after No. 2, I think it makes you feel a little more human and also appreciate the longer term and knowing he wants to pitch for a long time,” Roberts said. “To get the foundation right and strong and to feel good about it coming off the second one I think is important to him as well.”
In any case, the Dodgers and Nationals will get underway at 4:05 PM ET from Washington.
