Dodgers Ticket Prices Soar With Shohei Ohtani Set to Pitch vs Padres

Ohtani is set to serve as the opener in his first game back, and will likely not stay on the mound longer than two innings. He hasn't pitched since 2023, when he tore his UCL with the Los Angeles Angels.

“Shohei is getting antsy,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday. “He’s ready to pitch in a big-league game. My guess an inning to start.”

The reigning National League MVP was an elite pitcher before his Tommy John surgery, and will hope to produce the same results as he did before he halted pitching activities. He has a 3.01 career ERA on the mound, and placed fourth in Cy Young voting in 2022, when he struck out 219 batters in 166 innings pitched.

Ohtani is just as good off the mound, as he is putting together another MVP-caliber season without throwing a pitch thus far. He has an OPS of 1.035 through 70 games, while hitting 25 home run and recording 41 runs batted in. His OPS nearly matches his 1.036 mark from 2024, during which he received the National League MVP unanimously.

The Dodgers didn't expect Ohtani to pitch before the All-Star break, however with his progress in bullpens seeemingly pushed up his timeline to return. The announcement that Ohtani would pitch came shortly after Roberts revealed that Roki Sasaki may not return this season.

“We have to plan on life without him at least this year, that’s fair to say,” said Roberts.

The Dodgers currently pace the NL West, leading the San Francisco Giants by two games and the Padres by three. Ohtani will kick off the four-game set against the Padres on Monday at 7:10 p.m. PT in a massively important series with huge playoff implication.