Shohei

Ohtani

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Ohtani is trending towards starting against the Tigers on Sunday. There should be a definitive update on his status leading into the weekend but all signs point to the generational talent making his first start for Los Angeles since early July. It sounds like there’s a possibility that Ohtani piggybacks with Tyler Glasnow in some capacity for workload reasons this weekend.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn’t rule out the possibility that Ohtani could take the ball against Detroit this weekend but he’ll need to make it through another throwing session this week before that decision is made. The 32-year-old two-way superstar hasn’t pitched in a game setting since early July due to a knee issue.

Nothing will be finalized until after Ohtani’s next bullpen session, but the Dodgers feel like he’s close. Ohtani threw 30 pitches in live batting practice Saturday. He hasn’t pitched in a game since July 3 because of knee and biceps issues.

With Tyler Glasnow back and Shohei Ohtani nearing a return as well, there simply isn’t room to keep the 31-year-old southpaw in the club’s six-man rotation. He’ll be available out of the bullpen beginning on Tuesday.

Ohtani remains without a definitive timeline to return to pitching in games for the Dodgers, but the fact that he’s progressed to facing hitters again means that he’s getting close. It’s purely speculation, but it feels like the Dodgers are going to want to give him a couple outings in the final month to make sure that he’s ready before putting him back on the mound in the postseason. There should be additional clarity on his timetable at some point relatively soon.

Ohtani took Ryan Feltner deep in the third inning for a two-run blast to extend the Dodgers’ lead, a 448-foot homer to right-center field. The home run was Ohtani’s 30th of the season, giving him six straight 30-homer campaigns. The 32-year-old star is hitting .294/.390/.558 with 82 runs scored, 80 RBI, and seven steals across 535 plate appearances.

With the NL MVP Award race heating up between Ohtani and Cubs rising superstar Pete Crow-Armstrong, a return to the mound would be the unexpected X-factor that could swing things in the two-way talent’s favor. He remains without a definitive return timetable to pitching in games for the Dodgers, but he’s inching closer. There should be a clear timeline once he progresses to facing hitters in live batting practice in the coming weeks.

Ohtani’s homers traveled a projected 452 and 428 feet at Coors Field. It’s his second two-homer game and his first with either four hits or four runs scored. He’s now up to ninth in the majors with 81 runs scored. He should easily get to 100 for the fifth time, but he’s going to fall well short of his major league-leading totals of 134 in 2024 and 146 last season.

The Dodgers remain hopeful that he’ll be able to return to the mound in some capacity, either before the regular season ends or during the postseason. The Dodgers are blessed with a luxury of riches in their rotation at the moment, so it’s not going to hurt them all that much if he’s unable to get back on the mound in 2026.

A 2-1 deficit turned into a 3-2 lead for the Dodgers when Ohtani took Daniel Lynch deep. That’s the 27th homer of the season for the reigning MVP, and he’s now up to 74 RBI on the season. He also singled, and Ohtani’s slash is now .293/.393/.526. Amazingly, that .939 OPS is easily his worst mark since joining the Dodgers in 2024.