ATLANTA – Shohei Ohtani’s return to the Dodgers' rotation is approaching its final stages, though his immediate timeline will hinge on a critical workout later this week.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided an update ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Braves, revealing that Ohtani will throw a bullpen session Friday in Detroit rather than during the current series in Atlanta.
How Ohtani responds to Friday's session will dictate the date and format of his return to the mound.
"I know people are waiting to see on Shohei; he's going to throw a bullpen on Friday in Detroit," Roberts said before the game. "And then after that, we'll know how the forthcoming days look. Right now, I don't think anyone knows how any day looks until he throws that bullpen Friday."
While his return date remains fluid, Roberts noted that Sunday's series finale against the Tigers in Detroit and Tuesday's game in Los Angeles remain potential options.
Ohtani, who last pitched on July 3 while dealing with lingering soreness in his left knee, checked a major milestone on Saturday in Los Angeles by throwing 30 pitches in six simulated plate appearances against live hitters.
To keep the two-way star’s bat in the lineup, he won’t have a Minor League rehab assignment. Instead, he will build up his pitch count with the Dodgers planning to expand his workload by the postseason.
Tyler Glasnow is slated to start on Sunday. If Ohtani comes out of Friday's bullpen session feeling strong and ready to pitch, he could serve as an opener for Glasnow before handing the ball over for bulk innings. Alternatively, his return could wait until the start of the Dodgers' upcoming homestand next week.
Left-hander Eric Lauer also remains a primary option to piggyback and cover bulk innings as Ohtani builds back up.