With a 43-29 record, the Los Angeles Dodgers finished first in the NL West. They have a two-game lead over the San Francisco giants.
In their final 10 games, the Dodgers were 6-4, 5-4 victory over San Francisco on Sunday evening. MLB Insiders announced that Los Angeles’ Shohei Ohtani will face the San Diego Padres on Monday. This is my first time pitching in an MLB game in 22 months. Plus, this will be Otani’s first start with the Dodgers.
Dodgers await two-way superstar shoe hei ohtani on the mound
Breaking: The team announced that Shohei Ohtani will be the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers facing the San Diego Padres tomorrow night. pic.twitter.com/dwutaslkoz
-espn (@espn) June 16, 2025
Shohei ohtani has been removed for 21 months from “second repair of his ulnar collateral ligament.” The 30-year-old has been rehabilitating for quite some time to get back to the mound. Last season was Otani’s first season with the Dodgers, and he was dominant. He became the first full-time designated batsman to win an MVP. On top of that, he is the only player in league history to have 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season.
On a postseason run that ended with a World Series victory, Otani began the first step in his slow program. He suffered from lips torn on his non-throwing shoulder and needed surgery after the season. This delayed Otani’s rehabilitation process and began pitching again in March. Since then, Otani has worked very hard to get the opportunity to start the Dodgers.
Manager Dave Roberts told the media that Otani is ready to pitch in the MLB game. The Japanese superstar will start for the first time on Monday as a Padres and Los Angeles dodger. ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez reported Ohtani only pitched one inning, perhaps two. This is another step in getting Otani back to 100%. How quickly can a 3-time MVP return to the mound as a full-time starter?