Shohei Ohtani set to pitch 1st game for Dodgers against the Padres

Dave Roberts joins Colin Cowherd on The Herd to discuss managing Shohei Ohtani, the greatest player in baseball, and what he brings to the Los Angeles Dodgers both on and off the field.

Shohei Ohtani will return to the mound on Monday night when the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the San Diego Padres in what is set to be his first pitching appearance since Aug. 23, 2023.

The Dodgers made the announcement of Ohtani’s return to the bump on Sunday night amid the team’s 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants. Ohtani has not pitched since he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels. He had an elbow procedure in between the 21 months he was kept from the pitcher’s mound.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani, #17, throws live batting practice prior to the game against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on May 31, 2025. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)

He will likely be used as the opener for the Dodgers.

"Shohei is getting antsy, which is a good thing for us," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the team announced Ohtani was going to be on the bump.

"I don’t know if it’s going to be one or two innings, but my guess is probably an inning to start. But it’s a good thing. The live, simulated, or whatever, sort of ran its course. He’s ready to make his debut on the mound."

It was expected Ohtani was going to return to the pitcher’s mound at some point when he signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with Los Angeles before the 2024 season. It was only a matter of time, and the Dodgers had no qualms about slow-rolling his efforts to pitch again.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, #17, runs toward the dugout before a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants