Shohei Ohtani Pitching Return Timeline Confirmed by Dodgers’ Pitching Coach, Reveals the Drastic Challenge Ahead

The baseball world watches Shohei Ohtani, a true ‘unicorn,’ with bated breath. Every time he steps onto the field, fans hold their breath, waiting for the moment baseball’s biggest two-way star returns to the mound. For months, questions swirled: When will Ohtani pitch again? Will he ever be the same after his latest surgery? But all they received from the clubhouse was uncertainty. Until now.

From an overall standpoint, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ season is going quite favorably with a 39-19 record, standing atop the NL West. However, some turbulence has been observed in late May 2025. A recent four-game losing streak exposed some underlying problems. What’s worse is that their series against the Los Angeles Angels turned out to be a grave disaster after losing all three games. The struggle persisted in the following game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, when they endured a 5-9 defeat. As a result of their first losing streak of the season, their ERA was observed at 4.16, dropping to 22nd rank in MLB.

As they crumbled with a losing streak recently, there appears to be a glimmer of hope, finally. Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior shed light on Ohtani’s progress during his recent interview with the ‘Dodgers Territory’ podcast. He said, “He is getting closer. In his last couple of bullpens, he’s really ramped up the intensity in all of his pitches. I think we’re getting close to where he can start facing some hitters. Whether that’s in the next couple of weeks, or as we turn into June — the latter part of June — I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”

Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior suggests it’s not unreasonable to assume Shohei Ohtani could be facing hitters in June. pic.twitter.com/DqDlFtDwQ5

— Dodgers Territory (@LADTerritory) May 23, 2025

However, Prior also candidly outlined the extraordinary complexities of Ohtani’s journey. “There’s days where he goes four-for-four, and he’s running around on the base paths, and he comes in the next day and he’s feeling tired and exhausted,” he explained. “So the throwing work volume needs to be cut short or tweaked to kind of manage that.” The Dodgers are wisely playing the long game with their $700 million superstar. They plan to use a six-man rotation, easing Ohtani back without undue pressure.

Back in April, when Roberts addressed questions regarding Ohtani’s return, he emphasized, “His health is paramount, most important.” As for potential return to pitching, Roberts projected, “around the All-Star break in July,” or “following the All-Star break.” Ohtani’s shoulder injury required more complicated surgery than his elbow, which even compelled him to work on his range of motion.

Dodgers’ injury woes had deeply tumbled the bullpen, as manager Roberts acknowledged the dire state of the roster: “It’s not the staff we thought we’d have this season.” Injuries have decimated their pitching depth, with stars like Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell sidelined. This makes the potential of Ohtani’s return even more crucial.

The Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani’s return

Navigating this path of return is a tightrope walk. Ohtani underwent his first Tommy John surgery in 2018. In September 2023, he also underwent his second major elbow procedure, a UCL repair, then had arthroscopic surgery on his non-throwing left shoulder in November 2024. Typical UCL recovery is 12-16 months, but data suggests revision surgeries see only about 47% to 55% of pitchers return to their pre-injury level. This isn’t just a bump in the road; it’s a mountain to climb.

Ohtani’s first path back to the mound after his first Tommy John surgery was gradual and impacted by unique circumstances. He made only two brief starts (seven runs in 1.2 innings) in a COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. In those limited outings, he struggled to find his command. It wasn’t a smooth re-entry by any means.

The following year, 2021, was the real year he put himself back on the two-way star map. Shotime posted a 3.18 ERA across 23 starts for the Angels. In 130.1 innings, he struck out an impressive 156 batters, once again flashing his ace potential. It’s also proof of his toughness and capacity to return to the elite, which the Dodgers hope he can replicate. But a second surgery only brings more question marks.

History does offer glimmers of hope for pitchers who have to undergo multiple elbow surgeries. Nathan Eovaldi, after two Tommy John procedures, became an All-Star and won a World Series championship. Jameson Taillon also came back successfully from two major elbow surgeries. And there’s the incredible Jonny Venters, who returned from what he termed ‘3 1/2’ Tommy John procedures to be named NL Comeback Player of the Year. These athletes demonstrate that elite-level return is certainly not easy, but it is not impossible.

 The baseball world watches, hoping to see Ohtani script another incredible chapter.

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