Dodgers reveal latest Shohei Ohtani pitching plan

As the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to battle through the ups and downs of the MLB season, with a series of injuries to players like Michael Kopech putting a damper on an otherwise encouraging season, the brightest spot has been the play of Shohei Ohtani, who has once again returned to the mound after putting up MVP caliber numbers up as just a hitter.

So far this season, Ohtani’s starts have been limited, with the first two lasting only an inning, while the third went into the second as the MVP works back from 2023 surgery, but for the most part, these games have effectively been bullpen outings, with Justin Wrokbleski and Ben Casparius often soaking up much of the load before Anthony Bonda and Tanner Scott close things out.

Breaking down the Dodgers’ plans for Ohtani’s next start, the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett revealed when the two-way star will be back on the mound and who will play alongside him next.

“Shohei Ohtani will make his next pitching start on Saturday, paired with Justin Wrobleski this time,” Plunkett wrote. “Ben Casparius will pitch in some capacity on Friday. Sunday is TBD but could be an opening for Emmet Sheehan to return to Dodgers.”

With the All-Star game just two weeks away and Ohtani locked in as the DH thanks to the votes of his adoring fanbase, the pride of Mizusawa, Iwate, only has at most two more starts left before he takes a break for some extracurricular activities.

How the Dodgers choose to handle these next two weeks, and which pitcher they plan to play as they continue to cobble together weeks without a hard and fast rotation, could define what kind of momentum Los Angeles takes into the playoffs and how hard they are willing to address their needs at the MLB trade deadline.