Shohei Ohtani Begins Throwing Progression

A left knee problem has kept Shohei Ohtani from pitching since July 3, and a minor setback led Ohtani to skip a planned bullpen session on July 25.  The two-way star has now resumed throwing in the form of a game of catch on the field Saturday, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani will play catch again tomorrow (MLB.com’s Sonja Chen and the California Post’s Dylan Hernandez were among the reporters to pass on the news).

It’s a small step in the build-up process, and it can be assumed that Ohtani won’t be following a normal rehab plan given the unique circumstances of his everyday role as the Dodgers’ designated hitter.  In a sense, the Dodgers have the luxury of not really needing Ohtani to pitch until the playoffs, or at least until some point in September so Ohtani can get some mound work in as a postseason warm-up.

Chen opined that Ohtani might not even return as a pure starter at all, as he wouldn’t need as much arm build if the plan is for Ohtani to work as a multi-inning opener or as the front half of a piggyback situation.  Ohtani would still need to officially start the game so he could remain as the DH after leaving the mound (i.e. the aptly-named “Shohei Ohtani rule“).

Blake Snell‘s will return from the 60-day injured list on Tuesday and Tyler Glasnow is two starts into a minor league rehab assignment, so Los Angeles will have a fuller view of its rotation picture once those two former All-Stars are back on the active roster.  Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the newly-acquired Tarik Skubal will surely work in traditional starters’ roles in any playoff rotation, leaving the Dodgers with Snell, Glasnow, Ohtani, Justin Wrobleski, Eric Lauer, and Roki Sasaki all as candidates to make starts in October.  Lauer and Sasaki will likely be moved to bullpen duty, so an Ohtani/Wrobleski combination could work if Ohtani is indeed utilized as an opener.