Dodgers decide to ‘slow play’ Shohei Ohtani’s pitching rehab – San Bernardino Sun

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Shohei Ohtani threw his fourth bullpen session of the spring on Feb. 25, increasing the intensity of his work.

Everything seemed to be on track for an anticipated return to pitching sometime in May.

But Ohtani hasn’t thrown off a mound since then, limiting his throwing to flat-ground work and playing catch in the outfield in the nine days since – an extended break that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said was decided on after a conversation among Ohtani, the pitching coaches and training staff.

It was a response to “the intensity of his work” as a hitter increasing with his inclusion in Cactus League games, Roberts said. Ohtani has played in four games over the past week, going 5 for 12, including 2 for 4 on Thursday. He was scheduled to get three at-bats but requested to stay in the game for an additional at-bat.

“As the game has intensified, his work playing in games, it was sort of trying to give him a little respite from the rehab and to slow him down,” Roberts said of the pause in Ohtani’s throwing program. “We’ve never really put a time on anything. … He’s still playing catch, so his arm is still moving. But we just felt that to intensify the bullpens alongside of the intensity of the games wasn’t smart, so we just wanted to kind of slow-play it.”

Because he has stopped throwing bullpen sessions, Ohtani will not face hitters in live batting practice before the team breaks camp and leaves for Tokyo next week.

The plan is to “ramp him back up” at some point, but Roberts said he didn’t know exactly when that would be.

The Dodgers have outlined a plan to have Ohtani pitch in simulated games (perhaps against Dodgers hitters or minor-leaguers brought in for that purpose), but he will not go on a minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment before pitching in major-league games.

“It’s very kind of nuanced with him,” Roberts said, pointing out that Ohtani is returning from two surgeries – on his right elbow in September 2023 and his left shoulder in November 2024. “(We’re) just trying to make sure that we don’t push something we don’t need to.”

Before spring training began, Roberts went on record saying Ohtani could join the Dodgers’ starting rotation in May “and it might be earlier.” The pause in Ohtani’s throwing program could change that and Roberts was more cautious in his answer Thursday when asked about Ohtani’s timeline to join the rotation.

“I talked about that in January,” Roberts said of his optimistic projection before training camp opened. “I just feel, and we all feel, just trying to make it a broad time to return. We just don’t know. And so I think that when he’s ready, when the process, the progression, as it’s going on, we’ll know. But I don’t want to put any kind of expectation on you guys, or Shohei.”

Ohtani was unavailable for comment.

MAY DAY

Right-hander Dustin May made his third start of the spring on Thursday, holding the Texas Rangers scoreless for three innings and striking out three of the final four batters he faced.

Where this is leading for May is unclear.

“I haven’t heard anything,” May said when asked about his role to start the season.

“It doesn’t matter if I know or not. They’re going to put me where they want to put me. It’s just kind of up to them.”

There seem to be three options for May, who has not pitched in a major-league game since May 2023. He could open the season in the Dodgers’ starting rotation. He could be moved into a bullpen role. Or the Dodgers could put him on the injured list and send him on a minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment to start the season as they did with Walker Buehler when he was also returning from a second elbow surgery a year ago. May’s eligibility for a rehab assignment would have to be clarified.

Tony Gonsolin is in a very similar situation, competing for the fifth spot in the rotation with a bullpen role also a possibility. He is returning from Tommy John surgery.

“We certainly see both of those guys as starters,” Roberts said. “I just think that weighing in the value of one of those guys starting, the ability for one of those guys to potentially go to the ’pen – does it make sense to give one of those guys an extra chance to continue to build up? There’s just a lot of different variables. Obviously, there’s only one spot as far as that fifth spot. But I think they’re both having really good springs.”

May said he “would like to think” that he is competing for a spot in the rotation.

“When my stuff is in the (strike) zone, it’s just as good as anybody’s in the league. So I feel I have a good chance to get guys out,” he said after Thursday’s outing. “But if it’s in the bullpen, it’s in the bullpen.

“I’d prefer to start. But I just need to log innings. I mean, I haven’t been able to pitch in basically four years so I just need to go out and pitch.”

Due to two elbow surgeries and an emergency procedure to treat a torn esophagus, the 27-year-old May has never pitched more than 56 innings in a major-league season.

KERSHAW UPDATE

Left-hander Clayton Kershaw rejoined the Dodgers in camp on Wednesday and said he is progressing well in his recovery from surgeries on his left foot and knee in November.

“I think so,” he said. “It’s not 100 percent yet but it’s getting there. Feels good.”

Kershaw said he has thrown off a mound “a couple times.”

Kershaw is planning to travel to Japan for the Dodgers’ games there against the Chicago Cubs (though he is not allowed to travel with the team). He is not expected to be activated until well into the season, but the Dodgers have not moved him to the 60-day injured list yet.