The glimpse of the 2023 Shohei Ohtani was seen against the Kansas City Royals recently. In two dominant innings, he allowed no runs and made only 27 pitches. His arm screamed dominance, firing a fastball that shattered his own record at 101.7 mph. That hastened return, before the All-Star break was due to Ohtani himself declaring his stuff “game-ready.” He later described the significance of these real-game tests: “It’s something I don’t think I would have been able to do in a live BP setting. So it’s nice to be able to hit this and see how my body reacts.”
With Ohtani now back on the mound, the baseball world immediately began to wonder whether he would pitch in the All-Star Game. He was, predictably, elected to start for the National League at designated hitter. He posted a massive 3,967,668 fan votes, marking his fifth All-Star nod. It also makes him just the second player, along with Hall of Famer David Ortiz, with five starts at DH. He will be accompanied by teammates Will Smith and Freddie Freeman, both of whom also led voting at their positions.
But now the question is: Will he pitch in Atlanta? All that speculations were put to rest when Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who will manage the NL team, made the call. His response was swift, unequivocal, and left no room for argument: “No.” Roberts went on to praise the two-way star as “the best player,” but laid out the team’s cautious approach crystal clarity.
He assured fans they would still get a show, stating, “It’s going to be exciting for the fans to watch him in Atlanta for the All-Star Game.” The decision is a calculated move in a much larger game.
MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Los Angeles Dodgers at Cleveland Guardians May 28, 2025 Cleveland, Ohio, USA Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani 17 waits next to manager Dave Roberts 30 for his turn to bat during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Cleveland Progressive Field Ohio USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20250528_kab_bk4_020
To understand this level of caution, you must rewind to August 23, 2023. Ohtani was pitching for the Los Angeles Angels in a game against the Cincinnati Reds when he departed the mound after just 26 pitches. The baseball world waited with bated breath. An MRI later confirmed the worst: a tear in his right Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL), the same ligament he had surgically repaired in 2018.
This led to a second major elbow procedure on September 19, 2023, performed by the world-renowned Dr. Neal ElAttrache. It was more complex than a routine repair. As his agent Nez Balelo shared, the aim was for Ohtani to “hit and pitch for many years to come.” Dr. ElAttrache described a cutting-edge hybrid surgery designed not just to fix the tear, but to “repair the issue at hand and to reinforce the healthy ligament in place while adding viable tissue for the longevity of the elbow.”
That state-of-the-art procedure set the stage for one of the most unique comebacks in baseball history.
Beyond the mound: Shohei Ohtani’s undeniable bat
Shohei Ohtani’s return has been a unique story thus far, using Major League games as his rehab assignments. What we have seen on the mound has been exceptional, given the small sample size. In the first few starts, he posted a great 1.50 ERA, and his velocity hit a new career high of 101.7 mph with his fastball. Manager Roberts has praised Ohtani’s focus, noting, “You can’t take the competitor out of the player,” as the superstar is methodically putting his repaired arm to the test against the best in the world.
However, the challenges brought on by the two-way pursuit are beyond question. While achieving that remarkable speed milestone, he was surprisingly silent with the bat, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in that very game against the Royals. This “two-way toll” showcases the immense burden he carries physically and mentally. Ohtani himself admitted that since returning to the mound, he hasn’t been punishing mistakes at the plate as effectively as he usually does.
The Dodgers’ cautious approach is also rooted in a very hard truth from the past. The path for a pitcher coming back from a second major UCL surgery is a dangerous one. For every story like that of Nathan Eovaldi, which became a World Series hero after his second operation, there are many more that end in tragedy. Promising careers of pitchers like Kris Medlen and Jarrod Parker were effectively ended by a second tear. The Dodgers’ ‘one of one’ plan for their ‘Unicorn’ is a calculated play to go against those odds.
While he won’t take the mound, fans in Atlanta will still witness an offensive powerhouse. Ohtani’s performance at the plate has been MVP caliber. This season, he has hit 32 home runs, leads the NL in runs scored with 89, and puts up a .987 OPS. Also, his advanced stats tell a better story with a 168 wRC+, which means he is 68% more productive than the average player. It’s a display that shows even just half of Ohtani is still an All-Star.
What’s your take on the Dodgers’ strategy?
The post Will Shohei Ohtani Pitch at the 2025 MLB All-Star Game for National League Team? What Happened to Him? appeared first on EssentiallySports.