LOS ANGELES -- Seven weeks removed from his last start on the mound, Shohei Ohtani is in the final stages of his return to pitching.
Ohtani checked a key box in his throwing progression by facing live hitters before Saturday evening's game against the Pirates, which also happened to be a bobblehead night for him. Ohtani threw 30 pitches in six simulated plate appearances against fellow rehabber Will Smith.
"If it were up to Shohei," manager Dave Roberts said, "he'd be in a game in a few days."
Ohtani last pitched in a game on July 3, going 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA through 14 starts. Since then, he has been out of the rotation while dealing with lingering soreness in his left knee. The Dodgers are hopeful that the time away from pitching has not only allowed Ohtani to get past the knee issue, but also to tweak his mechanics to avoid the same issue flaring up in the future.
Here's the latest on Ohtani's return to pitching:
What's the next step?
Ohtani will throw a bullpen session during the upcoming series in Atlanta that will clarify his next meaningful step. If he comes out of that feeling good, he may not need to throw an additional live session before returning to the Dodgers' rotation.
When could he pitch in a game?
Ohtani will likely start a game during the Dodgers' next homestand, which spans Sept. 1-9. He could pitch in one of the first few games if he does not throw another live session. If he faces hitters one more time, then he's more likely to pitch toward the end of the homestand.
How will he build up?
Ohtani's return to pitching from a second major elbow surgery last year is a good point of reference. He won't go on a rehab assignment, but rather build up in big league games, one inning at a time. He will likely just pitch one inning in his return to the rotation, unless he gets through it so efficiently that it makes sense to send him out for a second inning. For his first few starts, left-hander Eric Lauer will be the primary option to piggyback with him to cover bulk innings.
What's the end goal?
For much of Ohtani's throwing progression, the Dodgers seemed to accept that he might be more of a multi-inning opener when he returned to pitching. But because getting back on the mound has gone so smoothly for him, Ohtani may be able to build up to a traditional starter's workload by the time the postseason rolls around. Regardless of how many innings he can give the team in an outing, the ultimate priority is to have Ohtani at his best -- as a hitter and a pitcher -- in October.
How will his return to pitching impact the Dodgers?
The Dodgers have sorely missed what they view as "bonus" innings from Ohtani, as he does not count toward the 13-pitcher roster limit as a two-way player. His return will allow the team to run a six-man rotation without being a man short in the bullpen. Given that roster expansion on Sept. 1 will allow them to add an additional pitcher, the Dodgers' pitching staff should be able to reset ahead of what they hope will be another deep postseason run.