Dave Roberts ‘Very Confident’ Injured Dodgers Pitchers Will Return During 2025 Season

The Los Angeles Dodgers currently have 14 pitchers on injured list, both from issues stemming before the season began and new trouble during it. Shohei Ohtani’s current unavailability as a pitcher makes 15, but his injury recovery was pre-existing when joining the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season.

The rash of injuries has particularly decimated the Dodgers’ starting rotation, as the likes of Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Tony Gonsolin are currently out.

Every pitcher who has suffered an injury during the regular season has yet to be ruled out for the year, with the exception of Evan Phillips who underwent Tommy John surgery on June 4.

“I think we’re very confident that we’re going to get the guys we’re talking about back,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Snell, Glasnow, Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan. “I think as far as return to play, there’s certainly a cautiousness to it, because as you start getting in the middle, later in the part of the season, then any setback could be detrimental for the rest of the season.

“So I think that I’m very confident we’re going to get them all back. I just don’t know when, and I think that we’re kind of again, being very cautious of that. And then once we get them back, we got to make sure we keep them back too.”

There’s also River Ryan and Kyle Hurt, who could potentially be activated later this season once they complete a rehab from respective Tommy John surgeries performed in 2024, but it’s not a given.

Of the Dodgers’ starting pitchers, Sheehan is the closest to returning. Sheehan fell short of completing the targeted four innings in his latest rehab start, but Roberts indicated the Dodgers were still having his next time pitch come at the Major League level.

As for Snell, Glasnow and Sasaki, all three are throwing but are at vastly different stages in their rehab processes.

Dodgers exercising caution with Shohei Ohtani

After Sheehan, Ohtani is the next furthest along in his rehab among injured Dodgers pitchers. Unlike Sheehan, Ohtani will be building up without the use of rehab starts in the Minors.

There is still no target date for Ohtani to be given the green light as a pitcher, but he has made significant progress recently during his simulated outings.

President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman recently explained the Dodgers have taken a deliberate approach with Ohtani as they hope to have him pitching beyond just the 2025 season.