The Los Angeles Dodgers are exercising a lot of patience when it comes to easing Shohei Ohtani back into the pitching rotation. He’s made just two appearances on the mound in 2025 after taking more than a year off from pitching due to a shoulder injury. He’s thrown just two innings and has two strikeouts on the season. David Roberts has already confirmed that Ohtani won’t be throwing in the Midsummer Classic.
That said, when is the next time he could be on the mound? Roberts shed light that it could be soon before the MLB All-star break. Regardless of when Ohtani is back on the mound, don’t expect it to be a long outing. The Dodgers threw a 10-year deal at Ohtani, they have more than enough time to bring him back full time.
When will Ohtani pitch next? Predicting his July starts with key matchups
Projected July starts for Shohei Ohtani
DATE | OPPONENT |
|---|---|
July 4 | vs. Houston Astros |
July 11 | at San Francisco Giants |
July 18 | vs. Milwaukee Brewers |
July 25 | at Boston Red Sox |
Ohtani could pitch as early as Saturday against the Kansas City Royals. His last start was June 22 with his first start of the year on June 16. The Royals aren’t necessarily one of the top teams in the AL, but they’ll be a good test for Ohtani as he continues to recover.
As far as an outlook for the rest of the month, he could realistically make four appearances on the mound. Based on the routine six days of rest in between starts, he should face the Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers and the Boston Red Sox.
Each of those games are good matchups for him as it will be a perfect balance of a good challenge as well as a chance to get him some innings against lesser teams.
How important will July be for Shohei Ohtani as he ramps up his usage?
The month of July could be an important milestone for him as it could get him ready for the postseason. I think if Ohtani is going to have the most impact this postseason, they have to start ramping him up. July will determine if he’s ready to go longer in games ahead of the playoffs of if he’ll be sidelined and primarily a hitter in October.
The Dodgers haven’t tipped their hat with how they plan on getting Ohtani ready for the next phase of his rehab. The fact that they’re playing him this year means he’s getting closer to getting back into the rotation full time.
What he does next month could go a long way in giving the Dodgers insight on if he’s ready for a less strict pitch count ahead of the postseason.