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Having undergone Tommy John surgery in September 2023, superstar Shohei Ohtani featured only as a DH in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. With his elbow reportedly recovering well, Ohtani is set to make his much-awaited return to pitching again at some point this season.
Having won the NL MVP award in 2024 as a result of his batting prowess, many fans are excited to see how Ohtani will balance both sides of the sport this year.
On Sunday, Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes offered an important update on the organization's plans to gradually reintroduce Ohtani to pitching at the big league level.
"Ohtani is one of one, so it's certainly trying to be mindful of all the factors, making sure we're not losing a crucial part of our lineup, and layering up on workload upon workload," Gomes said, according to MLB Network Radio. So, a lot of it's based on how Sho's feeling and making sure we're not pushing it too hard.
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"It amazes me watching him go about his business, and to be as dialed as he is on both sides is just impressive. He threw a live BP today [at Citi Field]. He's been building up properly here, looking good and feeling good, so this will be a good step in the progression of getting him back out there and pitching on a big league mound."
MLB insider questions whether having Shohei Ohtani pitch is worth it in long run for Dodgers
On Wednesday, insider Ryan Spilborghs discussed whether having Shohei Ohtani pitch may decrease his effectiveness as a hitter.
"Last year, he had a 1.036 OPS, this year he has a 1.073," Spilborghs said, according to MLB Network Radio. "Those numbers are only going to go down once he starts pitching. [In terms of] The production level for them, Ohtani, Betts, Freeman and Will Smith are kind of carrying all the load.
"If I'm really thinking about it, with Ohtani [given] 10 starts at the most, I worry any sort of soft tissue injury like an oblique [may occur]. It's not worth it, with the offensive stuff he's putting on."
With the Dodgers possessing one of the best pitching arsenals in all of the big leagues, and Ohtani doing much of the heavy lifting for the team from an offensive standpoint, many will argue there is plenty of substance to Spilborghs' argument.
