Jun 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) throws against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Nationals Will Face Dodgers' Megastar Shohei Ohtani on the Mound this Weekend

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Jacob Moss | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 7:00 PM ET

The Washington Nationals have seen their season rapidly fall apart over the past several weeks, and the road is only getting harder as June continues to move along.

Fresh off a series loss to the worst team in baseball in the Colorado Rockies, the Nationals trip out west will next take them to the City of Angels for a showdown against one of baseball's top sides in the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game weekend set.

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This upcoming showdown with the reigning World Series champs just got a lot more interesting as well, with Los Angeles announcing that superstar Shohei Ohtani will take the mound on Sunday for the series finale.

It will be just the second start all season for the reigning National League MVP, as he only just recently made a return to the mound after a long recovery from Tommy John surgery, which rendered him unable to pitch for the entire 2024 season.

BREAKING: Shohei Ohtani is set to start for the Dodgers on Sunday vs the Washington Nationals

It will be Ohtani’s 2nd time pitching for the Dodgers in his career. pic.twitter.com/9kmYptMlAn
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) June 19, 2025

Ohtani's first start since 2023 came this past Monday against the San Diego Padres, where the Dodgers decided to limit him to just one inning of work.

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In that single frame, he allowed just one run, while also running his fastball up into the triple-digit range of the radar gun.

Now, Washington will be the next team to face off against the Japanese sensation, and this time he'll likely be allowed to go a bit deeper into the game.

It's not yet known just how long manager Dave Roberts plans on leaving his star player on the mound, but there could be an opportunity for the Nationals to potentially steal a game out west if they can ambush Ohtani.

The Padres were able to cause some trouble for Ohtani this past Monday, racking up a couple of hits while also running his pitch count up to 26 in the single frame work he put in.

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It's likely he isn't fully adjusted to facing MLB hitters in game again just yet, so if Washington can catch Ohtani of guard, then they could end up doing some damage.

Either way, it's always special getting to face off against a player of Ohtani's caliber, and the young players on the Nationals are sure to savor the experience regardless of the outcome.

For more Nationals news, head over to Nationals On SI.

This article first appeared on Washington Nationals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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