Shohei Ohtani shined yet again during the much-anticipated game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. While he hasn’t been pitching in the majors yet, he seems to be just not stopping. Two home runs to outpace the Yankees’ Aaron Judge were enough to lead the Dodgers to a victory against the Yankees. However, in the situation the Dodgers are currently in, with fourteen pitchers on the injured list, Ohtani’s pitching is needed more. But former Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez has dropped a major bomb on his return to pitching.
During the interview with FOX Sports, Alex Rodriguez shared his opinions regarding the matter. He felt that it might be risky to bring back Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher. And he has got a point, though. In case they rush him to get back to pitching, he may soon join the injured list as the fifteenth player. Guess you can expect what’s going to happen then?
“It’s a tough decision for me. In 2023, Ohtani had the best repertoire of any pitcher in the game. But if Ohtani gets hurt and makes it 15 pitchers on the IL for the Dodgers, the season is over. For me, the risk-reward is not there,” Rodriguez said. If you look at it, the statement makes sense. Shohei Ohtani has been with the Los Angeles Dodgers in his second year now; however, he hasn’t yet pitched for them. The reason is obvious, no?
“If Ohtani gets hurt and makes it 15 pitchers on the IL [for the Dodgers], the season is over. For me, the risk-reward is not there.”@AROD thinks Shohei Ohtani shouldn’t pitch for the Dodgers until next year pic.twitter.com/Wf6o06zlxq
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 31, 2025
Ohtani has been recovering from the UCL repair that prevented him from getting on the mound. He missed the entire 2024 season. But despite not pitching for the Dodgers, Ohtani has been very effective, considering that he is a two-way player. He is currently leading the league with 22 home runs, batting at a .298 average, .395 OBP, and a 1.062 OPS. That says a lot about his performance, doesn’t it?
Well, there’s no doubt about it. However, if you look at Shohei Ohtani, he is not like a normal pitcher. He throws fastballs, sliders, and splitters. Now that he has undergone not one but two surgeries, Alex Rodriguez feels that the Dodgers management shouldn’t rush to get him back to pitching.
But we cannot deny the fact that for the Los Angeles Dodgers, missing out on a pitcher of Ohtani’s calibre is always a big thing to miss. In fact, Shohei Ohtani is currently throwing pitches outside the game, and hopefully, he may get back sooner than expected. However, we cannot throw away A-Rod’s words on the risk and reward, considering that it might be a major mistake to let him pitch in 2025. Of course, the Dodgers may look like a powerhouse when Ohtani resumes pitching, but at what cost?
Shohei Ohtani is showing great signs in live batting practice
Right after the Dodgers’ win over the Yankees, the Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani finally managed to take over the mound once again on Saturday. It was his live batting practice for the second time, and guess what? He didn’t disappoint, either. Ohtani managed to throw 29 pitches, which was a big step forward, given that he threw 22 pitches last Sunday in New York.
Surrounded by the coaches, manager, and teammates, Shohei Ohtani showed glimpses of his pitching prowess. He threw fastballs, cutters, sweepers, sinkers, and splitters against the minor league players. Although his fastballs didn’t reach the expected speed, ranging around the mid-90s, it’s quite good as of now. He wasn’t as good as he used to be in the last week, but yes, manager Dave Roberts remains optimistic.
“I think he wishes his command would have been a little bit better. But really a positive day for Sho,” Dave Roberts said. He believes that Ohtani will get better with time and maybe throw three innings next week. However, it is unlikely that Ohtani can be seen pitching in a major league game soon. The reason is that he will gradually have to get to that five- or six-innings mark, which is still a long way to go.
However, what impresses us the most is that despite not pitching for the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani has shown his mettle as a hitter. And quite understandably, the Dodgers’ strong offense has been bolstered by his batting power, which is quite remarkable, too.
Do you think it will be a good thing to get Ohtani back to pitching?
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