Shohei Ohtani could make mound return
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According to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani will throw a simulated game in the coming days, and it could "potentially" be his last. Ohtani could also join the pitching rotation "sooner rather than later," possibly within the next week.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani made MLB history in Saturday's win over the San Francisco Giants, as he reached 25+ home runs, 10+ stolen bases, and 5+ triples before July for the second time in his career.
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Shohei Ohtani won National League MVP and was part of the World Series championship lineup last season, but he's also been recovering from major elbow surgery since late 2023. The former two-way superstar is nearing a return to being a current two-way superstar.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Sunday that Ohtani will throw another simulated game in the coming days that could "potentially" be his last one.
Per ESPN's Karl Ravech, "there is a growing feeling among Dodgers that Shohei Ohtani will return to pitching sometime this week" after not pitching for the last season-plus. Earlier this week, Ohtani threw 44 pitches across three simulated innings at Petco Park in San Diego, a major step towards making his return.
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As Shohei Ohtani works towards returning to the mound, his Dodgers teammate wants him to keep another priority in mind.
Interestingly, the home runs come after the longest home run drought for Ohtani with the Dodgers. He had gone 10 games without a long ball. The last time that happened for him came in 2023 with the Angels .
While his OPS (1.023) is nearly identical to last year’s effort, Ohtani is behind the pace in several statistical categories compared to last season, when he became the first player to record 50 homers and 50 stolen bases before the Dodgers won his first World Series title.
Shohei Ohtani has hit two homers against the Giants on Saturday, ending his longest HR drought since joining the Dodgers.
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Shohei Ohtani hit two homers and Clayton Kershaw pitched seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 11-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Despite that, Zach Presnell believes that the Dodgers could cut ties with a former All-Star in the form of Tony Gonsolin, a right-hander who has proven throughout his career to have above-average stuff.