On February 25, Shohei Ohtani threw his fourth bullpen session of the spring, ramping up the intensity of his work. Everything seemed to be on track for an expected return to pitching sometime in May.
But Ohtani has not pitched from a mound since then, limiting his pitching to flat ground work and playing catch in the outfield in the nine days since, a prolonged rest that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said was decided after a conversation between Shohei, the pitching coaches and the training staff.
Shohei will not face batters in practice
It was a response to “the intensity of his work” as a hitter that increased with his inclusion in Cactus League games, Roberts said. Ohtani has played in four games over the past week, going 5-for-12, including 2-for-4 on Thursday. He was scheduled to have three at-bats, but requested to remain in the game for an additional at-bat.
“As the game has ramped up, his work in games, it was just to give him a little bit of a blow from the rehab and to slow play it,” Roberts said of Ohtani’s pause in his throwing program. “We never put a time on anything … He’s still playing catch, so his arm is still moving. But we just felt that ramping up the bullpens along with the intensity of the games wasn’t smart, so we just wanted to slow play it a little bit more.”
Because he has stopped throwing bullpen sessions, Shohei will not face hitters in live batting practice before the team finishes camp and heads to Tokyo next week.
The plan is to “reactivate” it at some point, but Roberts said he did not know exactly when that would be.
The Dodgers have outlined a plan for Ohtani to pitch in simulated games (perhaps against Dodgers hitters or minor league players hired for that purpose), but he will not go on a minor league rehab assignment before pitching in major league games.
“He’s very nuanced with it,” Roberts said, noting that Ohtani is coming back from two surgeries: on his right elbow in September 2023 and on his left shoulder in November 2024. “(We’re) trying to make sure we’re not forcing something we don’t need.”
Before spring training began, Roberts publicly said Ohtani could join the Dodgers’ starting rotation in May “and it could be sooner.” Ohtani’s pause in his throwing program could change that, and Roberts was more cautious in his response Thursday when asked about Ohtani’s timeline to join the rotation.
“I talked about that in January,” Roberts said of his optimistic projection before spring training began. “I just feel, and we all feel, that we’re trying to make it a broad time to come back. We just don’t know. And so I think when he’s ready, when the process, the progression, as he goes along, we’ll know. But I don’t want to put any kind of expectation on you guys, or on Shohei.”
Ohtani was unavailable for comment
Right-hander Dustin May made his third start of the spring on Thursday, holding the Texas Rangers scoreless for three innings and striking out three of the last four batters he faced.
It is not clear where this will lead for May.
“I haven’t heard anything,” May said when asked about his role to start the season.
“It doesn’t matter if I know or not. They’re going to put me where they want to put me. It’s just up to them.”
There appear to be three options for May, who has not pitched in a Major League game since May 2023. He could open the season in the Dodgers’ starting rotation. He could be moved to a bullpen role
Or the Dodgers could put him on the injured list and send him on a minor league injury rehab assignment to start the season as they did with Walker Buehler when he was also returning from a second elbow surgery a year ago. May’s eligibility for a rehab assignment would have to be clarified.
Tony Gonsolin is in a similar situation, competing for the fifth spot in the rotation with a bullpen role also a possibility. He is returning from Tommy John surgery.
“We certainly see both guys as starters,” Roberts said. “I think, taking into account the value of one of those guys being a starter, the possibility of one of them going to the bullpen, does it make sense to give one of them an extra chance to keep growing? There are a lot of different variables. Obviously, there’s only one spot as far as the fifth spot is concerned. But I think they’re both having very good springs.”
May would like to think he’s competing for a spot in the rotation
“When my stuff is in the zone, it’s as good as anybody’s in the league. So I feel like I have a good chance to get guys out,” he said after Thursday’s outing. “But if it’s in the bullpen, it’s in the bullpen.
“I would prefer to be a starter. But I just need to log innings. I mean, I haven’t been able to pitch in basically four years, so I just need to get out there and pitch.”
Due to two elbow surgeries and an emergency procedure to treat a torn esophagus, May, 27, has never thrown more than he should in 56 innings in a major league season.
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