Overview

• Ohtani took the mound on June 16 against the Padres and delivered a 28-pitch first inning in which he allowed one run on two hits.
• Manager Dave Roberts plans to use Ohtani as an opener on a tentative weekly schedule, aiming to build his work capacity gradually.
• Ohtani’s return caps a 21-month rehabilitation that began after right elbow surgery in September 2023 and his last MLB start on August 23, 2023.
• The Dodgers have been forced into bullpen games due to injuries to rotation mainstays Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki.
• Ohtani continues to anchor the lineup as the leadoff hitter, leading the National League with a 1.035 OPS, 25 home runs and 41 RBIs.