You’ve probably been blown away by Shohei Ohtani smashing records as a hitter, but guess what? We might soon hear about him making a pitching return, too! Yep, you heard that right. While Ohtani is busy making history for the Los Angeles Dodgers as their DH, there’s still the exciting possibility of him coming back to the mound. But why was he away? Well, that’s all because he was recovering from his second elbow surgery after the 2023 season. And even though he is a two-way champ, the Dodgers were being cautious with their ace.

And guess what? It worked too! The 30-year-old’s hitting streak is absolutely on fire right now, and it’s kind of overshadowing his current pitching hiatus. But there is also a sense of hope that he might come back to pitch as well. See, Ohtani has recently started throwing bullpen sessions—though they’re still limited—things seem to be moving in a positive direction. Although the Los Angeles Dodgers previously called Ohtani’s pitching comeback a big no, with playoffs approaching, can their decision be changed?

Can we see Shohei Ohtani back on the mound?

Well, as reported by Dodger Blue, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes in never say never and that they aren’t closing that door altogether. Roberts, via Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times, put it in the simplest way: “I wouldn’t say no way … I’m not going to close the door 100%.” But it’s quite different from Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, who, when previously asked about the possibility of Ohtani pitching in the playoffs, gave a very blunt answer, a big rejection, saying there’s “no world” where that happens.

One thing to note here is Roberts also acknowledged it isn’t likely to happen, but chances could be there. You must be getting confused about what’s exactly happening; don’t worry, Dodger manager explained it very beautifully: “If I was scripting a movie or writing a book, it would be a no-brainer that he comes out of rehabilitation and throws the last pitch.” So see, even though watching him pitch again after not witnessing for the entire 2024 season would be great, getting him back on the mound is still a big risk with lots of potential hurdles and injuries.

Roberts knows this all too well! But what are these potential risks?

What are the possible risk if Shohei comes back to mound?

See, even though he has been practicing, the 30-year-old needs to throw extended bullpen sessions and face live hitters. In short, get all his pitches back in top form. After a long break, snapping back into peak shape isn’t a walk in the park. Plus, even if he gets everything back on track, there’s no guarantee he’ll be sharp on the mound. Without any late-season rehab games or appearances, he could be dealing with rust when the stakes are highest.

The potential upside, with no guarantee of any effectiveness, is not worth the risk of another injury. And Dave Roberts has acknowledged all of this too by saying. “If he were to come out, and it does go awry, it’s not worth potential injury. It’s not worth it.” And truly, although his fans would be very excited and the Dodgers are way too focused on bringing a World Series title back to them. A possible injury can jeopardize his hitting streak as well. And that too when he is on a chase for historic 50-50 and is breaking records every day!

Did you know Shohei Ohtani now has 218 home runs in his MLB career, tying him with Shin-Soo Choo for the most by an Asian-born player? He’s also just three homers away for the most home runs in a season by a Dodgers player. Rushing his return could ruin all that momentum. It might be smarter to wait until 2025, when he’s expected to be fully ready for Spring Training. So, what do you think? Will the Dodgers gamble on a potentially rushed comeback? Or will they play it safe and save Ohtani for a stronger 2025 season? Let’s hear your thoughts.