Shohei Ohtani has slowed down his progress in returning to the mound as a pitcher this season. Ohtani has not thrown a bullpen session since Feb. 25, what manager Dave Roberts said Thursday is a “little respite” in his simultaneous rehabilitation from a second major elbow ligament reconstruction and labrum surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder.
Ohtani hasn\'t stopped throwing, but the Dodgers want to manage his workload.
“We just felt that to intensify the bullpens alongside of the intensity of the games wasn’t smart,” Roberts said. “So we just wanted to kind of slow-play it.”
The Dodgers have previously hinted Ohtani could return as a pitcher in May.
“He’s kind of really preparing on the offensive side, and given his surgery, and also appreciating the fact that he had surgery on his left shoulder too this offseason,” Roberts said. “So it’s very kind of nuanced with him, and so just trying to make sure that we don’t want to push something we don’t need to.”