Shohei Ohtani was supposed to be getting closer.
Instead, the Los Angeles Dodgers suddenly have another big question to answer:
Should Ohtani even pitch again this season?
The two-way superstar threw another bullpen session Friday as he continued working toward a return to the mound.
But it didn’t exactly go according to plan.
Ohtani threw only around 20 pitches, and after the session, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that the star wasn’t completely healthy. Ohtani has been dealing with lingering left-knee soreness and right-biceps discomfort, putting his pitching comeback back into question.
And now the Dodgers have a decision to make.
😳 Ohtani’s Return Has Been Delayed AGAIN
Ohtani hasn’t pitched since July 3.
That’s a long time for a pitcher who was having one of the best seasons of his career on the mound.
Before the injury issues interrupted his comeback, Ohtani had gone 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts over 85⅔ innings.
The Dodgers had hoped to gradually build him back up.
Bullpen sessions.
Simulated games.
More throwing.
Eventually, a return to a major-league mound.
But every time it looks like Ohtani is getting close, another concern seems to pop up.
And this latest setback has people wondering whether the Dodgers should simply stop pushing.
💣 The Latest Bullpen Session Raised More Questions
Ohtani’s Friday session was supposed to be another step toward a potential Sunday appearance against the Detroit Tigers.
Instead, the Dodgers decided against putting him on the mound.
Roberts said Ohtani wasn’t 100% and emphasized that the organization doesn’t want to compromise his health.
That’s especially important because Ohtani isn’t just a pitcher.
He’s one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball.
And the Dodgers need that bat.
🏏 The Dodgers Have a HUGE Reason to Be Careful
Here’s where this gets interesting.
If Ohtani were struggling at the plate, perhaps the Dodgers would be more aggressive about getting him back onto the mound.
But that’s not the situation.
Ohtani is still one of the most important offensive players on the roster.
He has continued serving as the Dodgers’ designated hitter while working through his pitching issues, and he’s hitting 30 home runs with 80 RBIs this season.
So the Dodgers have to ask themselves:
Is getting Ohtani back on the mound worth risking the player they desperately need in the batter’s box?
That’s not an easy decision.
🤯 And There’s Another Problem
The Dodgers’ pitching situation isn’t what it was earlier in the season.
The club has added depth and gotten other pitchers back into the rotation.
Tyler Glasnow has returned.
Blake Snell has been pitching well after coming back from injury.
And while the Dodgers recently lost Roki Sasaki to the injured list because of a blister, the team still has more pitching options than it did earlier in the year.
That changes the calculation.
The Dodgers may not need Ohtani to pitch badly enough to justify taking a major risk.
👀 Could Ohtani Be Shut Down?
This is where the story gets spicy.
There is growing discussion around whether the Dodgers should simply shut Ohtani down as a pitcher and let him focus entirely on hitting.
That’s not an official decision yet.
But the question is becoming harder to ignore.
If Ohtani isn’t 100% at the end of August, how much can the Dodgers realistically expect from him as a pitcher when the postseason arrives?
And more importantly:
Would it even be worth the risk?
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has already made it clear that protecting Ohtani’s health is the priority.
🔥 The Timing Couldn’t Be More Important
The Dodgers aren’t just preparing for another regular-season game.
They’re preparing for October.
That’s when every mistake becomes magnified.
That’s when one injury can completely change a playoff series.
And that’s when having Ohtani healthy at the plate could be worth far more than squeezing a few pitching appearances out of him.
Imagine losing his bat because the Dodgers pushed too hard trying to get his pitching arm ready.
That would be a nightmare.
🏆 But Let’s Not Forget What Ohtani Was Doing
There’s another side to this.
Ohtani wasn’t simply a part-time pitcher having an average season.
He was dominating.
An 8-2 record.
A 1.79 ERA.
95 strikeouts.
Those numbers are why fans are desperate to see him back on the mound.
A healthy Ohtani gives the Dodgers something almost no other team has:
A legitimate superstar who can change a game as both a hitter and a pitcher.
That’s the dream.
But right now, the Dodgers have to make sure they don’t turn that dream into a disaster.
🤔 So What Happens Next?
For now, patience appears to be the plan.
Ohtani will continue working toward a return, but the Dodgers aren’t putting a firm timetable on his pitching comeback.
And that’s probably the smartest approach.
If he gets healthy, great.
If he doesn’t?
The Dodgers still have one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball.
That’s better than risking everything for a pitching comeback that isn’t ready.
💥 The Big Question
This is no longer simply:
“When will Shohei Ohtani pitch again?”
It’s becoming:
“Should Shohei Ohtani pitch again this season?”
That’s a completely different question.
And it’s one the Dodgers may have to answer very soon.
⚾ The Bottom Line
Shohei Ohtani’s pitching comeback has hit another roadblock.
After a short bullpen session, the Dodgers determined that he wasn’t fully healthy, with lingering knee and biceps issues creating more uncertainty around his return.
Ohtani remains an elite offensive weapon, and his pitching numbers before the setback show just how much the Dodgers could gain if he returns healthy.
But with the postseason approaching, the Dodgers have to think bigger than one pitching comeback.
Protect the superstar.
Protect the bat.
And don’t risk October just to get Ohtani back on the mound a few weeks early.
Because if the Dodgers get this decision wrong…
the consequences could be HUGE. 😳
🔥 THE BIG QUESTION
Should the Dodgers shut Ohtani down as a pitcher for the rest of the regular season — or keep pushing for his comeback?
