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After a very hectic offseason, baseball is officially back with the start of Spring Training. The Los Angeles Dodgers are already hard at work as they try to defend their World Series title from last season.
Shohei Ohtani was obviously a massive part of the championship-winning squad a season ago, but the Dodgers haven't even been able to fully utilize him yet. The former Los Angeles Angels star was not able to pitch last season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery before the season to treat an elbow injury. Many Dodgers fans are hoping to get Ohtani back on the bump this season, and manager Dave Roberts gave a crucial update on that front on Wednesday, via Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
“Shohei Ohtani will not go on a rehab assignment before he’s ready to pitch this summer, Dave Roberts says, keeping him available to DH,” Nightengale reported on X. “Ohtani will not pitch in the Cactus League this spring.”
Ohtani is ready to start throwing after his injury. He is expected to throw a bullpen session at an unspecified intensity this weekend, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
Ohtani's elbow injury didn't hamper him as a hitter at all in 2024, as he took home NL MVP honors despite primarily playing in one facet of the game. He finished the season with 54 home runs, 130 RBIs and an NL-leading 190 OPS+.
What will the Dodgers' rotation look like in 2025?
The Dodgers are loaded with starting pitching talent heading into next season, leaving Dave Roberts with some decisions to make in his rotation. Los Angeles won the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes in free agency and also brings back young ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who should both earn starts.
The Dodgers are getting both Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May back from injury as well, although one or both of them could end up as bullpen arms. Tyler Glasnow should also get starts for the Dodgers to fill some of those innings. Legendary starter Clayton Kershaw recently agreed to a deal to come back to Los Angeles, so he is another option for Roberts.
Of course, a lot of this comes down to when exactly Ohtani is ready to return and how many innings he has in his arm when he does come back. If the two-way star's rehab stretches into the summer, maybe guys like May and Gonsolin will have to end up taking on some starts or Roberts can throw the Dodgers' deep bullpen.
No matter what happens, it's clear that this is one of the deepest pitching staffs in baseball and that Roberts will have plenty of options with his arms throughout the season.