Second time’s the charm! In his most recent game with the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani pitched a flawless inning, throwing 18 pitches, 12 strikes, and two K’s. Fans are already imagining him on the All-Star mound. And the only person who has that playbook is the skipper, Dave Roberts.
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Dodgers’ pitching has been infected with the injury bug. Tony Gonsolin, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, and Blake Snell have all been on the IL. That makes Shohei Ohtani’s return even more important. But he’s not just any arm; he’s a two-way wonder. And Dave Roberts is very well aware of this truth.
With All-Star games leaning closer, the first question that came to mind was whether Shohei Ohtani would pitch. Roberts replied firmly, with no explanations, just “no.” Ohtani’s return to pitching has been slow and steady, with only two innings pitched in two games. There is a plan in play to rebuild a great arm without risking another injury. Roberts is keeping his trump card safe.
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When the All-Star mound door slams shut, Kansas City opens up a whole new opportunity. Roberts said that Ohtani might throw against the Royals on Saturday. “We’ll see, we’ll see,” and added that the choice is still “open-ended.” He is clear about his plan; he doesn’t want to overload Ohtani with all the pitching and batting.
Just a few days back, Roberts mentioned, “I think right now we’ll play it status quo.”
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Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times
Roberts isn’t the only one who thinks this way. GM Brandon Gomes said the same thing. In a candid conversation, he was asked about Ohtani’s future as a starter. “Seeing where he’s at, taking a few days to assess, and then we can make our decision.” The decision on his pitching has always been a careful consideration in the Dodgers’ dugout.
On the contrary, Ohnati and Angels’ former manager, Joe Maddon, thinks the opposite. When asked about the decision on his pitching, he replied, it might bother Ohtani “to not or just be told unilaterally that he cannot do that.”
But amid all the pitching discussions, Shotime is continuing to shine on the plate and make milestones with each homer. And the latest one against the Rockies has again shown his elitism.
Shohei Ohtani hits his 300th career homer
While many are talking about when he’ll pitch next, Shohei Ohtani is quietly rewriting the record books at the plate. This time, with a 372-foot homer.
Ohtani hit his 300th career home run on June 24 in Denver, a two-run drive that was also his 27th for the 2025 season. He led off the game, and the Angels won 9–7 over the Rockies. That shot brought his total to 300, which included 48 homers while he was with Hokkaido in Japan.
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Baseball: MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Championship Series Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani draws a walk in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Oct. 14, 2024. PUBLICATIONxINxAUTxBELxBIHxBULxCZExDENxESTxFINxFRAxGEOxGERxGRExHUNxISLxIRLxITAxLATxLTUxLUXxLIExMKDxNORxPORxPOLxROUxSVKxSUIxSRBxSLOxESPxTURxUKxUAExONLY A14AA0003584573P
That milestone places him in a small group of great players. He is only the third Japanese-born hitter to hit 300 career home runs, joining Hideki Matsui and Kosuke Fukudome. Matsui had 507 in both leagues, Fukudome had 327, and Ohtani, who is still in his prime, is on his way to even greater heights.
Meanwhile, his return to the mound has been slow and steady. He has only pitched two one-inning games this season, and the team is still being careful with how much work he does. But Shohei Ohtani is making sure that Dodgerland sees his homer every time, with no question around that, at least.
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Ahana Chatterjee