After a long layoff, the Dodgers’ two-way phenom, Shohei Ohtani, has stepped back onto the mound, and he’s already lighting up the radar gun. But the Dodgers aren’t rushing anything. “We’re always going to be cautious,” said manager Dave Roberts. Well, with a player as precious as Ohtani, every pitch is a calculated move. Because his comeback to the mound isn’t a gamble, it’s a blueprint for the Dodgers moving ahead.
Working his way back from an elbow injury, Ohtani has made three starts for the Dodgers since his pitching debut. And in just his third outing, he unleashed the fastest pitch of his MLB career, a 101.7 mph fastball. That’s a clear sign he is in great pitching rhythm, despite not having a full rehab assignment. Roberts had him pitch only one inning in each of the first two outings, but extended it to two innings in the third, and guess what? He finished it scoreless. The Dodgers are clearly mapping out every step with a set goal in mind.
Their approach has been conservative, but it’s for a reason as Jeff Passan pointed out on the ESPN SportsCenter. “It’s going to continue to be conservative until Shohei Ohtani says that he is ready to stretch out even further than he has already. And they’re going conservatively because the Dodgers feel like they don’t need to rush this,” Passan said.
Further, he added, “They’re just trying to save the bullets for October — the time that matters most — for a team aiming to be the first back-to-back champions in Major League Baseball in a quarter century.”
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
Well, that’s right. The Dodgers’ pitching woes seem close to being resolved, with most of their injured arms set to return. The playoffs are in sight, and once there, the team will look to maximize everything they have, including Ohtani. But, overusing his power arm right now? Perhaps, not ideal.
Risking another injury? No one wants that. Roberts’ plan for Ohtani’s fourth start, scheduled on his birthday against the Astros, is a testament to the team’s commitment to taking it slow. According to the MLB insider Jack Harris, Ohtani will pitch just two innings on Saturday, too, as the Dodgers aim for redemption after that blowout loss to Houston.
A comeback, led by Ohtani, is exactly what fans need to forget that nightmare. “That was one you want to flush as soon as possible,” Roberts said of the 18–1 loss against the Astros in the series opener. “I don’t think there were many positives from this night.”
The skipper is absolutely right. The team set multiple negative records that night.
The Dodgers’ 18–1 blowout loss was one of their worst
The Dodgers were coming off a dominant stretch, 9–1 in their last 10 games, and no one could’ve imagined that the reigning World Series champions would collapse so spectacularly against the Astros. And at Dodger Stadium, no less.
But as the Dodgers’ pitching fell apart, the Astros’ bats capitalized. Eight of their nine starters had at least one hit, and five different players homered. Jose Altuve went 3-for-3 with two home runs, making it one of his best games of the season. But what did this loss mean for the Dodgers?
According to ESPN, the 17-run defeat was their largest margin of loss at home since the team moved to Dodger Stadium back in 1962. Well, that is not great, and it didn’t stop there. This loss also became the worst home defeat in franchise history since the Brooklyn Dodgers lost 19–2 to the New York Giants in 1947.
In short, the Dodgers suffered a historic loss. And who’s to blame for this embarrassment? A large share of it falls on the struggling rotation. Ben Casparius allowed six earned runs in three innings, and Noah Davis finished it in the worst way possible, allowing 10 earned runs on six hits in just 1.1 innings of relief. Hard to believe this is the same player who gave up no runs over four innings in his previous two outings.
Luck was simply not on the Dodgers’ side that day. As they gear up for a rematch with the Astros on Saturday, all eyes will be on the mound, where Shohei Ohtani is set to lead the charge.
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