Shohei Ohtani (31) of the Los Angeles Dodgers has taken another step toward a return as a pitcher. However, his comeback may be delayed longer than expected.

Major League Baseball's official media outlet, MLB.com, reported on the 25th (Korea time) that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Monday that Ohtani conducted a bullpen session on Saturday (30th), the first since his bullpen pitching on February 26. The Dodgers have delayed Ohtani's pitching program so he can focus on hitting during spring training, and he has only been playing catch.

Ohtani has played 875 games as a batter in Major League Baseball, with a batting average of .282 (878 hits in 3,119 at-bats), 225 home runs, 567 runs batted in, 562 runs scored, and 145 stolen bases, achieving an OPS of .946. He has established himself as the top superstar in Major League Baseball. He signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018 and won the American League Rookie of the Year award in his debut season. He has since unanimously won the league MVP three times (2021, 2023, 2024).

Ohtani set a record for the largest contract in professional sports history at that time, signing a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. However, due to the effects of elbow surgery he received in September 2023, he has been unable to play both ways. Nevertheless, in his first year with the Dodgers, he recorded a batting average of .310 (197 hits in 636 at-bats), 54 home runs, 130 runs batted in, 134 runs scored, and 59 stolen bases, achieving the first 50-home run-50-stolen base season in Major League history. In his debut postseason, he successfully realized his dream by winning the World Series.

Ohtani, who is preparing to return as a pitcher this year, suffered a shoulder injury while stealing a base in Game 2 of last year's World Series, which caused him to miss his scheduled appearance in the Tokyo Series held on the 18th and 19th. Manager Roberts had previously mentioned that Ohtani could return in May before the Tokyo Series.

However, on that day, Manager Roberts refrained from specifying a timeline for Ohtani's return to pitching and said that a clearer plan could be made after his bullpen pitching on Saturday. He stated that considering the past few years when the Dodgers' starting rotation crumbled due to injuries in the latter half of the season, they are keeping in mind that Ohtani might return in the second half of the season.

Roberts said, "This is also part of the plan for Shohei's long-term health." He added, "So we are trying to approach this as cautiously and meticulously as possible. And when thinking about 2025, the most important thing is to ensure that he can play both ways until the end of the season, until October."

Maintaining a cautious stance on Ohtani's two-way play, Manager Roberts noted, "Given everything he has gone through while continuing to pitch, it makes sense. However, I don't know how it will appear from a leadership perspective. I believe that interpretation is correct." He explained, "There is a high possibility that serious rehabilitation will begin soon. In an ideal scenario, Ohtani would make at least 18 to 20 starts." He then added, "If that's the case, we will accept it right away."

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