For Dodgerland, 16th June was a night when reality felt like a movie script. The stadium was filled, and every seat was buzzing with excitement as No. 17 sprinted out from the bullpen to take the pitch. Shohei Ohtani, MLB’s once-in-a-generation player and two-way wonder, stood up for the first time in a Dodgers uniform as a pitcher after being out for almost two years.
The whole ballpark leaned in when Shohei Ohtani first took the mound. He threw 29 pitches, 16 of which were strikes, and even threw a fastball at 100.2 mph, which was a little faster than the 95–96 he had been aiming for. The inning ended with two singles and one run scored on a Machado sac fly. The comeback didn’t go as expected. Fans were a little disappointed. But they are eager to see how he would change, improve that command, and come back stronger the next time.
Post-game, manager Dave Roberts gave a hint about the Dodgers’ plan. “Ohtani feels good,” but is a little tired. When can he pitch next? Roberts said there would be a follow-up appearance “sometime this week,” possibly on “Saturday, Sunday, or Monday,” but he pressed it’s not a hard and fast seven‑day wait.
Shohei Ohtani might be back on the mound as early as June 21–23, and the most likely place for him to pitch is in Washington, D.C., against the Nationals. Clearly, the Dodgers are slowly bringing him back, intending to have him pitch once a week to build up his strength.
Dave Roberts and the front office don’t want to overload him. It will depend on how his body reacts and how carefully Ohtani, Roberts, and the medical team work together on this. It may be two innings, three, or perhaps more. But what matters the most after years and going through recovery, he is finally back.
Shohei Ohtani looks back to towards first base after the final out in the first inning during his pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday, June 16, 2025. Ohtani s pitching outing was brief, lasting just one inning, tossing 28 pitches, giving up one run on two hits a pair of flare singles from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arraez and a sacrifice fly from Manny Machado. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY LAP2025061618 JIMxRUYMEN
In May, Ohtani threw a lot of pitches in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium, with 50 throws split between two innings. And in early June at Petco Park, he had three simulated innings with about 44 pitches, mixing in a mid-90s fastball with sweeping offspeed stuff. This progression—from 50 bullpen pitches in May to a 44-pitch simulated outing in June—clearly set the stage for his comeback.
However, Shohei Ohtani was not satisfied with his result. Through his interpreter, he said, “Not quite happy with the results overall.” But he also focused on the positive aspects. “But I think the biggest takeaway for me is that I feel good enough to be able to go out for my next outing.”
Now, with Ohtani marking a comeback on the mound and Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell also having throwing sessions, the Boys in Blue seem to be finally aligning.
Dodgers’ rotation finally finds its groove
The Dodgers’ pitchers are finally getting back on track. The view from the mound is getting brighter after a lot of injuries.
Tyler Glasnow, who was in the 60-day IL due to right shoulder discomfort, is finally showing good signs. He started with a two-inning simulated game on Friday. Glasnow showed both “velocity…swing-and-miss, the delivery,” and manager Dave Roberts said, “I thought the stuff was really good.”
That brightness spread to the bullpen, where Blake Snell, who had been on the IL for shoulder irritation, threw 20 to 25 fastballs. And Roberts praised him, too. “He came out of it really well.” It gave the club a dose of confidence because their rotation has felt more like a relay run through the IL this season.
The relief corps is getting better, too. Blake Treinen is back to throwing live, and he might come back after the All-Star break. Emmet Sheehan shone in a rehab appearance, which made Roberts declare, “The stuff was better than the linescore.” These pitchers are all following the same comeback plan: Slow, steady, and exactly what the Dodgers wanted to see when June started.
It’s straightforward: When Shohei Ohtani throws hard, Glasnow strikes with 96 mph, Snell stays sharp, and Treinen and Sheehan pitch close relief, the Dodgers are getting better. Roberts is clearly excited as he puts all the puzzle pieces together. The pitching staff that once seemed broken is now coming along stronger, and that too, right when the club needs it the most.
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