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Dave Roberts Gives Pitching Update on Shohei Ohtani After Monday's Debut

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Daniel Arwas | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 8:57 PM ET

Shohei Ohtani had not pitched in nearly two years after requiring the second Tommy John surgery of his career in the wake of a torn ulnar collateral ligament, suffered in August 2023.

So it was a fantastic moment for the three-time MLB MVP when he was finally able to return to the mound and pitch for his now not-so-new team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, well ahead of his formerly projected July pitching debut.

And now, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has given some insight as to when we will see the face of the franchise pitch once again, per The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.

Dave Roberts suggested Shohei Ohtani’s next pitching outing could be a soon as Saturday or Sunday against the Nationals. They’ll know more after he throws a bullpen session this week.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) June 17, 2025

"Dave Roberts suggested Shohei Ohtani’s next pitching outing could be a soon as Saturday or Sunday against the Nationals." Ardaya wrote on Tuesday, "They’ll know more after he throws a bullpen session this week."

Ohtani was not exactly thrilled with his first pitching performance as a Dodger on Monday, saying to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez on Monday (via an interpreter) that he was "Not quite happy with the results overall, but I think the biggest takeaway for me is that I feel good enough to be able to go out for my next outing."

Ohtani also believed that he hopes he will return to pitch within the next week or so.

"That's my expectation," Ohtani said to Gonzalez. "But I did hit 100 today, so I want to see first where my body feels and how it reacts."

Given that Roberts feels there is an opportunity for Ohtani to pitch again potentially within five days of his first outing, it would seem like things are more than on track.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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