Heading into the 2025 season, many fans were anticipating the return of seeing Shohei Ohtani toe the slab for the first time in a Dodgers uniform.
After coming off a near picture-perfect 2024 season with his new team, establishing the 50/50 club, and winning his first World Series title, it seemed as though seeing Ohtani on the mound was a for sure thing straight out of the gate heading into 2025.
The Dodgers made it clear heading into the new season that they would take their time with Ohtani and build him up appropriately, because when it comes to a player like the two-way unicorn, they are ensuring his long-term health and long-term production, rather than a few great stints.
"It's not easy when you're kind of in it, and you're competing, but he's just such a valuable player to us offensively, as a pitcher, and so to push for an extra inning, or call it five extra innings in totality -- it's just not worth it," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. "There's just way too much downside, instead of just staying the course. We all feel comfortable with our plan right now."
When you look at everything in the grand scheme of things, especially with how the Dodgers are playing right now and the lack of productivity from every corner, you'd expect a team that has a guy like Ohtani to be cranking out as many innings as possible, but even in dire situations, Los Angeles will most likely not to play their ace card.
The idea of stretching Ohtani to pitch six innings this year is "unlikely," Roberts said, per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. "It's additive, being a two-way player. We have to be mindful of Shohei now and also going forward."
Thus, even in their worst stretch so far this season and heading into a battle of an NL West clash this weekend against the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers and their front office will not risk any sort of setback regarding Ohtani, and who could blame them?
So far in 9 appearances in 2025, Ohtani has posted an ERA of 3.47 across 23.1 innings pitched, 32 punchouts, and a WHIP of 1.11.
So for the time being, we will only see Shohei Ohtani pitch at a maximum of five innings.
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