Shohei Ohtani is nearing the end of his recovery process for his left knee and could return to the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting rotation sooner than initially anticipated, according to manager Dave Roberts.
Ohtani completed a session of 30 live batting practice pitches on Saturday, his first time facing hitters since he last pitched on July 3. Following this session, Roberts stated that the two-way star might be ready to return to game action as a pitcher. Ohtani is scheduled for a bullpen session during the team's upcoming series in Atlanta. A decision on whether he will rejoin the rotation or requires another live batting practice session will be made after that. If cleared, Ohtani could make his pitching return as early as next week.
This development is an encouraging sign for Ohtani's pitching status, potentially enabling him to build up to full-length starts for the postseason. Roberts indicated that the team plans to be "a little bit more aggressive" in increasing Ohtani's workload compared to last season, when he returned from Tommy John surgery by gradually adding innings. Last year, Ohtani began with one-inning starts and progressively increased his workload, not completing six full innings until his 14th start of the season. However, with 14 starts already completed this year before his injury, Ohtani is not starting from scratch.
The potential for a quicker return could be crucial for Ohtani's postseason role, allowing him to regain form for full-length starts in October. Previously, there was a possibility he might be limited to an opener role. Now, he could provide another legitimate starting option for a rotation that also includes Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow.
In related team news, left-hander Eric Lauer is expected to move to a piggyback role out of the bullpen. He is slated to pitch bulk innings on Tuesday, following Tyler Glasnow's return from a back injury. Lauer will then follow Ohtani in each of his starts, providing bullpen coverage as Ohtani works his way back from his knee injury.