Shohei Ohtani’s rehab isn’t progressing as quickly as some had hoped, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are playing it safe. While he’s started throwing again, don’t expect to see him pitching in the Japan Series or even at the start of the regular season.
The team isn’t rushing his return, especially with a deep rotation and Ohtani’s bat still producing at an elite level.
MLB Toyko Series 2025 Will Not Feature Shohei Ohtani on Mound
Unfortunately, Ohtani will not be pitching in the MLB Toyko Series in Japan on March 18 and 19. He is recovering from a torn labrum in his left shoulder, an injury suffered while trying to steal second base in Game 2 of the World Series. He underwent surgery on Nov. 5, 2024, to repair the damage.
The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles, the same surgeon who handled Ohtani’s Tommy John surgery in 2023.
In December 2024, Ohtani resumed throwing and was able to play catch at 60 feet—a positive step forward. However, the Dodgers have no plans for him to be on the mound when the season starts.
Ohtani himself admitted he wanted “a little bit of a breather mentally and physically” from his pitching rehab.
Shohei Ohtani said he wanted “a little bit of a breather mentally and physically” from his pitching rehab, which is why he has slowed down on that front.
Said all was going well with his rehab there, but seemed it necessary to slow down the pitching for now.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 14, 2025
Manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Ohtani has not thrown from a mound since February 25.
The team is taking a “slow-play” approach to Ohtani’s recovery, ensuring he is fully ready before stepping back onto the mound.
On the ESPN BBTN Podcast, the conversation around Ohtani’s recovery plan was clear:
“Shohei is interesting, and I say that because there’s a lot of variables. The hitting? He’s right on track. But on the pitching side, we want him to be fresh, strong, and healthy throughout October. We also understand that he hasn’t pitched in a calendar year, so he can’t go wire-to-wire from the Tokyo Series through the playoffs.”
He continued:
“We need him in the lineup taking at-bats every night, so he’s not going to go on a rehab assignment.”
Fans, Analysts React to Ohtani’s Rehab Decision
The decision to ease up on Ohtani’s pitching rehab has sparked mixed reactions from fans and analysts.
MLB Spaces reacted on X, saying, “Makes sense. Feel like his offensive numbers are more valuable to the team anyway.”
Makes sense. Feel like his offensive numbers are more valuable to the team anyway
— MLB Spaces (@MLBSpaces) March 8, 2025
One X user took a different approach, suggesting: “If I was them, I would just shut down his pitching for the rest of his career or turn him into a long reliever or something. I do wonder if he would even want to do that.”
If I was them I would just shut down his pitching for rest of career or just turn him into like a long reliever role or something. I do wonder though if he would even want to do that.
— ExtremelyOddThings (@Extremely00p) March 9, 2025
Another user backed the Dodgers’ decision, saying, “Why rush him when you already have 3 aces? This makes perfect sense.”
If I was them I would just shut down his pitching for rest of career or just turn him into like a long reliever role or something. I do wonder though if he would even want to do that.
— ExtremelyOddThings (@Extremely00p) March 9, 2025
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Los Angeles Dodgers Reveal the Team’s Starting Pitcher for Game 2 of MLB’s Tokyo Series
Ohtani’s timeline was initially pushed back to May, but now even that date is uncertain. Still, the Dodgers have a stacked rotation, featuring:
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto
- Blake Snell
- Tyler Glasnow
- Roki Sasaki
- Tony Gonsolin
- Clayton Kershaw (combined five Cy Young Awards)
With this deep pitching staff, Los Angeles can afford to be patient with Ohtani’s return to the mound.