Shohei Ohtani Making Progress in Pitching Progression

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani made some more progress towards returning to the mound over the weekend, playing catch on the field ahead of the Dodgers’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday.

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The reigning MVP will also play catch again ahead of Monday’s game against the Kansas City Royals.

Ohtani has only played as a hitter for more than a month, as a lingering knee injury has knocked him out of the Dodgers’ starting rotation. He threw a bullpen a few weeks ago in an attempt to ramp up, but felt some discomfort in his knee—leading the Dodgers to shut him down once again.

He first felt the injury in the middle of June, and it became more of an issue in July—as the Dodgers scratched him from two games before the All-Star break. Ohtani also missed the All-Star Game, as he received a lubricant injection in his knee during the brief hiatus.

Ohtani seems to be heading in the right direction, though, as playing catch is the second step in his own plan to return to the mound.

“(My knee) is getting pretty good day by day,” Ohtani said. “It’s hard to tell at this point what the schedule is going to look like. First I need to do plyos, then go into long toss, then go into a bullpen progression. Rather than rush the progression of this, I would rather make sure we’re headed in the right direction. But making sure we’re taking the right steps.”

May 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on in between pitches during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

How Did Shohei Ohtani Pitch Before His Injury?

Prior to Ohtani’s injury, the right-hander established himself as one of the best pitchers in MLB, let alone the National League. He had a 1.79 ERA through 14 starts, striking out 95 batters in 85.2 innings pitched on the year.

The rest of the team certainly feels his absence on the mound as well, as they’ve gone through something of a rough period since the beginning of the month. The Dodgers have lost eight of their last nine games, and have seen their lead atop the NL West shrink to just 7.5 games.

LA has reinforcements on the way, though, as Blake Snell will return from the injured list Tuesday, and Tyler Glasnow recently started his rehab assignment. When Ohtani joins his All-Star teammates, he’s sure to provide plenty of impact as well.

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