On an April night, at Dodger Stadium, stood Shohei Ohtani ready to bat amidst the crowd’s energy buzzing through the air as usual. A powerful home run soared into the sky, marking his sixth of the season. As cheers echoed and screens illuminated brightly, the lingering doubt remained unaddressed. When will Ohtani take the mound again?

That silence has been louder than ever.

Ohtani’s bat has been electric — .288 average, six home runs, 21 runs scored through 20 games. He’s leading the National League in runs, making it look almost too easy. And yet, something feels off.

Former MLB player and current analyst Trevor Plouffe gave voice to that uneasiness during a recent episode of Just Baseball, pulling no punches: “I think not only do people have a little bit of Ohtani fatigue, I think they have Dodgers fatigue as well.”

It’s not a knock on his talent. Plouffe’s point hits deeper. Ohtani, the two-way marvel who once redefined what’s possible in baseball, has been limited to one side of his brilliance this season. After undergoing his second elbow surgery last year, he hasn’t taken the mound in over 12 months. That’s a long time in baseball years, especially for a player who built his legend on doing everything.

Without the dual-threat spectacle, the magic and the shock factor seem to be fading just a bit.

Even MLB insider Ken Rosenthal has raised alarms, questioning the Dodgers’ reliance on injury-prone arms. With Ohtani, Dustin May, and Tony Gonsolin all recovering from surgeries, the team lacks a true workhorse. Rosenthal didn’t mince words: This Dodgers rotation is held together more by hope than durability.

And while Ohtani’s return to the mound is still expected around the All-Star break, the Dodgers have been vague. Vague enough that it’s raising eyebrows. Analyst David Samson even questioned whether the team is being fully transparent about his recovery.

Here’s the thing: Ohtani doesn’t owe us shock and awe every night. But when the bar is set at history-defining performances, anything less invites scrutiny. For now, the bat is doing the talking. But when he finally toes that rubber again? That’s when baseball’s spotlight will hit full wattage.

Until then, the conversation — and the curiosity — only grows.

The countdown to full Shohei Ohtani begins

It looks like fans hoping to see Shohei Ohtani back on the mound will need to wait a little longer. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently confirmed that Ohtani is still months away from pitching again, dousing any hopes of a surprise early return. While Ohtani continues to rake at the plate and lead the league in runs scored, his timeline on the mound remains cautious — and understandably so, given it’s his second elbow surgery in five years.

Roberts didn’t offer a specific date, but emphasized that the Dodgers are playing the long game. “We’re going to be smart about it,” he said, signaling that Ohtani’s throwing progression is still in early stages. And honestly, can you blame them? The last thing this team needs is to rush back their $700 million superstar and risk a setback.

Ohtani is still prepping his pitching skills. “I’m at a stage where I need to take one step at a time. I won’t fret over it and take the next step properly,” shared Shotime in a recent interview. Well, clearly, he is taking it slow, too. And reportedly, he has already reached 60 feet with a velocity up to 80 miles an hour. Given the normal distance from the back of home plate to the pitching mound is 60 feet 6 inches, that’s impressive!

But as of now, the world will have to keep waiting to see the full two-way version of Ohtani, and when it finally happens, expect the baseball world to erupt.