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Shohei Ohtani Set to Break Dodgers Record With Start vs. Padres

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rex Villas | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 8:33 AM ET

The day Los Angeles Dodgers fans have been waiting for is finally coming, as superstar Shohei Ohtani is set to return to the mound for his first pitching appearance for LA since inking a massive 10-year, $700 million contract with the franchise in December of 2023.

After a 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, the Dodgers revealed that the reigning National League Most Valuable Player will make his pitching debut for them this Monday night in the series opener versus the San Diego Padres in LA.

"Shohei Ohtani will be the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers tomorrow night against the San Diego Padres," read the team's announcement on X.

But all it takes for Ohtani to break a particular franchise record set by LA legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Don Drysdale is one pitch.

Via Sarah Langs of MLB.com: “Don Drysdale’s 29 home runs are currently the most in Dodgers’ history by a player to start at least 1 game on the mound for them. When Shohei Ohtani starts Monday, his 79 homers for the Dodgers will now lead the list.”

The Dodgers are leading the NL West with a 43-29 record, but they are also being held back from reaching their true potential by a banged-up pitching staff. The return of Ohtani to the mound can mitigate the impact of those injuries to the team, but it may take some more time before the four-time All-Star gets the green light to pitch for several innings in a game.

Ohtani, who has 79 career home runs with the Dodgers, last pitched in an MLB game during his days with the Los Angeles Angels. In five seasons with the Halos, he went 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and a 142 ERA+ across 23 starts. In 2022, he finished fourth in the American League Cy Young voting, finishing behind Justin Verlander, Dylan Cease and Alek Manoah.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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