Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will finally return to the mound later this season. In the meantime, the Dodgers have another plan for their rotation.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters Friday the team will use a five-man rotation over the season’s first month.
Conversely, the offseason expectation was Los Angeles would rely on six starters until Ohtani returns from 2023 elbow surgery.
Friedman cited the Dodgers’ early season schedule. After an off day on Sunday, March 30, the Dodgers have a Monday and every Thursday off in April.
Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts spoke about the Dodgers’ 5-man rotation heading into Spring Training. pic.twitter.com/4Zxfsc8cIZ — SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) February 15, 2025 “The schedule sets up well through April for us to manage it without doing that,” Friedman said.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki are expected to start the season-opening series in Japan on March 18-19. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are also locked into the rotation, assuming both stay healthy.
Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, and Bobby Miller are battling for the fifth and final spot. Gonsolin (Tommy John surgery) and May (torn esophagus) each missed last season.
Miller went 2-4 with an ugly 8.52 ERA in 13 starts. He didn’t throw a pitch during the Dodgers’ World Series run.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said May and Gonsolin could also start the season as relievers.
Los Angeles pitcher Dustin May Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Roberts announced earlier this week Ohtani won’t pitch in Spring Training games.
The reigning NL MVP also won’t toe the mound in his native Japan. “I don’t know when he’s going to pitch for us this year,” Roberts said, according to theOrange County Register.
“It will be sooner than later.” Ohtani last pitched in August 2023.
He went 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA across 86 starts in six seasons with the Angels. Ohtani finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting in 2022, when he tallied a 15-9 record, 2.33 ERA, and 219 strikeouts.
