Shohei Ohtani Gives Coy Response About Pitching Debut For Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have yet to see the full capabilities of Shohei Ohtani.

Although that statement sounds ludicrous given a historic 2024 campaign from Ohtani that featured the first 50+ home run and 50+ stolen base season in MLB history on his way to MVP honors and a championship in his first of 10 seasons in L.A., he has yet to unleash his pitching prowess in a Dodgers uniform.

As Ohtani continues to ramp up his pitching progressions and more Dodgers from the pitching roster land on the injured list, the mere prospect of his pitching debut in L.A. becomes all the more tantalizing.

When the three-time MVP was asked if a return to the mound would be feasible before the All-Star break, he shared a coy response with The Athletic.

“What do you think?” Ohtani playfully said through interpreter Will Ireton.

“You tell me,” The Athletic responded.

“Something like that,” Ohtani said with a shrug.

The reason for the sudden influx of hope that Ohtani would be back before the break after previous reports of the team's 'slow playing' his return is his promising reports during this process of ramping up to the hill.

After hitting two home runs in an 11-5 pounding over the rival San Francisco Giants, Ohtani provided more insight on the additional work he is putting in to make his Dodgers pitching debut.

“I think it has a lot to do with pitch counts, but with the last live BP, I felt like the intensity was there and my stuff was game-ready,” Ohtani said.

That most recent live batting practice from Ohtani saw 44 pitches against minor league hitters in just his third BP session of the year. Pitching coach Mark Prior praised Ohtani, saying “he was doing whatever he wanted with the baseball, with every pitch he wanted to” across the three simulated innings.

To do what Ohtani is doing while also taking up an integral part of the defending champion's lineup each game is almost as unheard of as his first season in L.A. Despite the heavier focus on hitting, the superstar is still on par with last year's MVP numbers as he is currently batting .290/.385/.638 with a 1.023 OPS and an NL-leading 25 home runs.