Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani could return to the mound as soon as Sunday.
Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani returning to game action by this weekend remains a “possibility.”
The Dodgers were previously bracing themselves for Ohtani to pitch only an inning or two at a time in the postseason, but recent developments suggest he may be able to return as a full-fledged starting pitcher.
After the series against the Braves in Atlanta, the Dodgers will continue their road trip to Detroit.
The team’s pitching plans for the Tigers series this weekend hinge on Ohtani’s work Wednesday in Atlanta, which will be either a bullpen session or facing live hitters.
That means there’s a possibility both Tarik Skubal and Ohtani start on the mound for the Dodgers in Detroit.
In July 2023, when he was a member of the Angels, Ohtani threw a shutout in Game 1 of a memorable doubleheader at Comerica Park and homered twice in Game 2 .
Ohtani threw 30 pitches to Will Smith in a simulated game Saturday with no issues, another milestone in his recovery from a knee and biceps injury Wednesday.
The right-hander hasn’t pitched for the Dodgers since July 3.
If Ohtani doesn’t make the start Sunday against the Tigers and returns a week later instead, he’s still in a position to pitch four or five games before the end of the regular season. That means the Dodgers could use Ohtani as a starter come October.
But his start in Detroit likely wouldn’t be more than an inning or two as the team continues to take a cautious approach in ramping their two-way star back up.
Ohtani is 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 85.2 innings on the mound this season. At the plate, he’s hitting .287 with 30 home runs, 80 RBIs and a league-leading .933 OPS.
