Shohei Ohtani Pitching Update: When Will Dodgers Star Pitch Again?

The Dodgers star has appeared in three games as a pitcher so far this season.

Matt Burke

Last Updated: June 30, 2025 11:19 AM EDT • 3 minute read

Shohei Ohtani remains baseball’s brightest star. A large portion of that fame originates from his unicorn-like ability to hit and pitch in the Big Leagues.

Ohtani returned to the mound after a year-and-a-half layoff in June. He has appeared in three games thus far, and has allowed just three hits in 4.0 innings. He owns a 2.25 ERA and has struck out three batters total.

When will Shohei Ohtani pitch again in MLB?

Ohtani has been working on five days rest thus far, but the Dodgers are limiting his pitches in his starts. He threw 28 pitches in his first start of the season on June 16 against the San Diego Padres. He then threw 18 pitches against the Washington Nationals on June 22, and finally 27 pitches against the Kansas City Royals.

Here is a look at the likely dates Ohtani will pitch again, assuming the Dodgers keep the same schedule with their rotation.

Friday, July 4: Houston Astros at LA Dodgers
Friday, July 11: LA Dodgers at San Francisco Giants

The MLB All-Star break begins on Monday, July 14. Los Angeles' first game coming out of the break is a July 18 home game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Why isn't Shohei Ohtani pitching anymore?

Ohtani’s time with the Los Angeles Angels fizzled out late in the 2023 season. He left an Aug. 23, 2023 game against the Reds with “arm fatigue.” Nearly a month later, on Sept. 19, 2023, Ohtani underwent elbow surgery. It was Ohtani’s second elbow surgery, as he also underwent a Tommy John procedure at the end of the 2018 season.

MLB teams are much more cautious with players who have endured multiple elbow surgeries. The typical recovery timeline for an MLB pitcher following their first Tommy John surgery is 12-14 months. As for a second Tommy John surgery, the recovery timeline is usually around 18-20 months.

The most recent example of a player coming back from a second surgery on his elbow is Jacob deGrom. The two-time Cy Young winner went through a second Tommy John surgery in June 2023 and made his return to an MLB mound in September 2024. The Rangers hurler is now enjoying something of a career renaissance, as he owns a 4-1 record and a 2.33 ERA across 10 starts this season.

Ohtani, of course, is his own entity given that he's been contributing - and then some - for the Dodgers at the plate in the meantime. The DH is tied for the MLB lead in home runs this season with 17.

Bet on Ohtani

Ohtani won’t be in the Cy Young running this year, but he's the NL leader in the MLB MVP odds at our best MLB betting sites while getting a price of +100.

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Written by:
Matt Burke

Matt Burke is a veteran sports journalist with expertise in sports betting content. He is a former Evergreen Managing Editor. Prior to that, Matt founded MetroBet - a digital and print sports betting platform for Metro US Newspapers (now AMNY). He also served as the Executive Sports Editor for Metro Newspapers, which had outlets in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Matt has covered Super Bowls and Final Fours and his work has appeared in the past for Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, the Eagle Tribune, Gloucester Daily Times and Newburyport Daily News. Matt is a graduate of UConn (Go Huskies!), where he earned a degree in journalism. His favorite time of year to place bets is right before the start of the NFL season, where he can't help but sprinkle on every single team's season win total. He also enjoys live betting each and every NFL Sunday.