Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Recovering From Shoulder Surgery, Could Pitch In Summer

Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani is recovering slowly from his off-season surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The reigning N.L. MVP suffered the injury in Game 2 of the World Series, but he is still expected to be available for the start of the 2025 season.

“I do feel like there’s some discomfort that I have to still overcome, [but] it’s not really debilitating,” Ohtani said through an interpreter, per The Los Angeles Times. “Just a limited range of motion. I’ve gone through it with the elbow before. With the shoulder, it’s a little bit more complicated. I do believe that’s the part that I have to be patient with.”

Not only is Ohtani returning to action as a hitter in 2025, but the Dodgers’ current plan is for him to pitch again this summer. Stepping off the mound for the 2024 season to recover from UCL surgery, a further surgery to repair a torn labrum may complicate that timeline. For now, though, Los Angeles claims that he could be ready to go during the 2025 season. He will not have a rehab assignment, as the team would rather maximize his time as a designated hitter on the 40-man roster. In the meantime, he will reportedly take at-bats in the Cactus League this winter.

In his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani overcame his inability to pitch by hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases. It was an incredible season that propelled a famously underachieving Los Angeles team to a World Series victory. If he is healthy enough to pitch in 2025, the Dodgers would only further cement their status as prohibitive favorites to defend their title.

The Dodgers did not make the splashiest move of this off-season, missing out on slugging outfielder Juan Soto, but they have done plenty to keep themselves atop the power rankings. Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki is the latest Japanese star to sign with Los Angeles, joining Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He will join a star-studded list of signees, including Cy Young winner Blake Snell, Korean infield prospect Hyeseong Kim and premium reliever Tanner Scott.