More than 18 months after undergoing elbow surgery, Shohei Ohtani has not returned to the mound in an MLB game, and one insider believes it would be a “shock” if the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar pitches this year nearly as much as he has in past seasons.

Ohtani's rise to superstardom has a lot to do with his unique two-way ability. Very few players in MLB history have been able to both hit and pitch as well as Ohtani has proven to be capable of. However, he has not got the opportunity to show off his pitching prowess very much lately.

In September 2023, Ohtani had surgery on his torn UCL in his throwing elbow. This essentially ruled him out of pitching at all during the 2024 season, his first with the Dodgers, and it has kept him from pitching so far in the 2025 season as well.

Ohtani went 32 days between throwing off a mound, from Feb. 25 to March 29,” Alden Gonzalez wrote for ESPN. “Before spring training, the month of May looked like a realistic target for his return to a two-way role. That no longer seems to be the case. Ohtani kept his arm active during his recent shutdown by throwing off flat ground at moderate intensity, but he is essentially starting his pitching buildup from scratch. His bullpen session on March 29 saw him throw roughly 20 pitches, after which Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged, ‘We're a ways away.'”

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Gonzalez said there is no timetable for Ohtani, who is currently limited to bullpen sessions, to become a part of the Dodgers' rotation. Gonzalez said, as a result of Ohtani's slow approach to returning, that it would be a “shock” if the Japanese star pitches 100 innings this season. Ohtani pitched at least 130.1 innings in each of his last three seasons with the Angels, starting at least 23 games in the process.

Fortunately, the Dodgers do not seem to be relying on Ohtani to make a return to pitching anytime soon. During the offseason, the team added two-time former Cy Young winner Blake Snell, as well as one of the top international prospects in Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki.

Even if injuries play a factor like they did last season, the Dodgers figured out a way to get through the regular season and, most importantly, the postseason with iffy pitching depth.

The Dodgers (9-2) begin a three-game road series vs. the Washington Nationals today. First pitch is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. PT.