Just when you thought the Los Angeles Dodgers were following the textbook on pitcher recovery, they’ve decided to toss the manual out the window and scribble their own chaotic notes in the margins. In a move that screams “calculated urgency” or perhaps “mild panic,” the team has stirred speculation about an early return to the mound for none other than Shohei Ohtani—their prized two-way unicorn with a surgically enhanced elbow.
The last time we saw Ohtani on the mound pitching in a professional game was back on August 23, 2023. Since then, all we have seen are glimpses of him in the bullpen and then nothing for a long time. But with reports coming in, his return looks closer than expected.
In an X post, The Japan News reported that Ohtani was in the bullpen, and he was looking very serious. They wrote, “Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani threw a 50-pitch bullpen session Saturday, another step in his throwing program in his return from elbow surgery.”
The Dodgers might not have had this in mind, but with the Dodgers facing multiple injuries in the past few weeks, they might have had no choice. Pitchers like Gavin Stone, River Ryan, and Kyle Hurt have undergone major surgery and will be out for at least the season. Some other pitchers like Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Blake Treinen have been on the IL for a few days now, and their arrival is also looking closer.
Shohei Ohtani Throws 50-Pitch Bullpen Session in Return from Elbow Surgery; Kershaw Activatedhttps://t.co/BLstBBHwhz
— The Japan News (@The_Japan_News) May 18, 2025
There was never a specific date for Ohtani’s return to the mound, but this news shows that he is closer. That is not the only news, it looks like Kershaw’s curveball is also going to be troubling batters in a few days. The Dodgers decided to up their pitching rotation and activate Clayton Kershaw. With the injuries the pitchers are facing this season, the Dodgers are leaving no stone unturned to make their team better.
So yes, while Ohtani’s return date remains a mystery wrapped in bullpen smoke, the Dodgers appear to be dropping hints like bread crumbs. With a rotation held together by duct tape and desperate optimism, they seem ready to accelerate plans. If this is a gamble, it’s one with million-dollar arms and billion-dollar stakes. And if chaos is the new strategy—well, the Dodgers might just be winning at it.
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