Dave Roberts reveals Shohei Ohtani pitching update that's good sign for Dodgers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been struggling a bit lately as a team in August, but there's still no real reason to panic about how good the team is.
But getting back to full strength would certainly help dissuade any concerns about the postseason. The main issue for the Dodgers right now is when, if at all, Shohei Ohtani will return to the mound.
Fortunately, Dave Roberts shared some good news. Josh Peter of USA Today reports that Roberts revealed some encouraging news on Ohtani, with the two-way superstar trending in the right direction lately.
Dodgers get good news on Shohei Ohtani's return to pitching
"He's playing catch, potentially going to throw a bullpen soon," Roberts told Peter and the media ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers' series in mid-August.
This update is some good news for the Dodgers, as it's apparent that Ohtani is taking the necessary steps to return to the mound as the season rolls along.
They're not going to rush Ohtani back, especially now that they've got Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell in the rotation. Add in a looming return of Tyler Glasnow, and there's little reason to rush Ohtani back to the mound.
But getting him back and pitching as soon as possible would be a huge boon for the Dodgers. Fortunately, that return date might not be too far off.
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His return won't be like some other pitchers' returns from injury, as the Dodgers need his bat in the lineup, and they can't send him to the minors for a rehab assignment.
Instead, he might get a two-inning start here or there, which would work with their strong rotation depth in the big leagues. Ohtani could go two innings to start a game, and then someone like Eric Lauer could come in and get a bulk role behind him.
Regardless of how the Dodgers pull off his return, he first needs to actually be cleared to pitch again. While he's not there yet, as of August 14, Ohtani is getting close to being good to go.
This update from Roberts is very encouraging, as Ohtani being set to throw a bullpen soon is a strong indicator that he's getting very close to returning to the mound.
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- Dave Dombrowski reveals why Phillies didn't trade for a righty-hitting outfielder
- Brewers ‘toyed’ with idea of trading for Padres closer Mason Miller
- Tigers feared Tarik Skubal’s trade market would disappear if they waited too long to trade him