Shohei Ohtani will make his long-awaited return to the mound on Monday night against the San Diego Padres. It was initially expected that Ohtani would return after the MLB All-Star Break, but why not take a risk with one of the best players in baseball when given the chance? Ohtani is expected to start the beginning of an opener against Dylan Cease – so he won't be on the mound – but it will be his first pitching appearance for the Dodgers in any event. Yet, as excited as Dodgers fans are to watch Shohei pitch, shouldn't they be a bit more cautious than this?
You don't have to take my word for it. If anything, the media has done a tremendous job tracking the Dodgers plans with Ohtani. Unfortunately for LA and its fans, it would seem the Dodgers are a bit scatterbrained as it pertains to Ohtani's return. Ohtani had surgery at the end of 2023, which placed his likely return in May of this season. However, he suffered a setback in his recovery back in February, and was forced to pause his rehab, which has since ramped back up.
Dodgers sound like they're rushing Shohei Ohtani
The Dodgers have been incredibly secretive about Ohtani's return, at times suggesting he'd be available late in the campaign. More recently, Dave Roberts and Co. had pointed to after the All-Star Break before suddenly pivoting to...Monday! The Dodgers medical staff is one of the best in baseball – and lord knows they have enough pitcher injuries to deal with on a yearly basis – but something is off about the communication regarding Ohtani's recovery timetable, which has remained a mystery for quite some time now. While we're all happy to see Ohtani pitch again, Dodgers fans are also rooting for his longevity on the mound.
Roberts most recent communication with the media suggested that Ohtani's first few appearances will be in the form of rehab starts against MLB-level hitters. Typically, players will head down to the minor leagues when they recover from injury, but that's impossible for Ohtani since he is contributing for LA at the plate while hoping to return to the mound. It's a complicated mess.
Shohei Ohtani should wait until after the MLB All-Star Break to pitch
To put it simply, there's little need for Ohtani to return to the mound right now. What was so nice about his post All-Star Break timetable was that it would provide Ohtani some time to rehab at his own pace, and perhaps when there weren't MLB games if he chose to skip the All-Star Game itself. Instead, Ohtani is rushing himself to make what amounts to a relief appearance against one of the best teams in the NL West, rather than building up his confidence against minor-league hitters.
Ohtani and the Dodgers have earned the right to approach his injury rehab however they like. I am not a doctor, but the random nature of his return to the mound feels rather rushed. We can only hope it doesn't come back to haunt LA.