Shohei Ohtani threw 30 pitches to Will Smith in a live batting practice session in Los Angeles on Saturday, his first meaningful mound work since left knee soreness sidelined him from pitching on July 3. He capped the outing with a thumbs-up, a small but telling gesture for a Dodgers team trying to piece its rotation back together during a stretch run that could end with a third straight World Series title.
Manager Dave Roberts said the team made a mechanical tweak that helped ease the pressure on Ohtani's landing leg, according to the Los Angeles Times. Ohtani adjusted his stance to land slightly open rather than closed, which reduced physical stress on the left knee that has functioned as his landing leg while pitching. Roberts called it encouraging progress, saying, “We're getting there,” and adding that the knee issue is likely behind the team now.
As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, the session unfolded in 93-degree heat and drew a small crowd of notable onlookers, including Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Andrew Friedman, and pitching coach Mark Prior. Several Pittsburgh Pirates players also stopped to watch. Ohtani has no definitive timeline to return to pitching, per the same account, though he is likely to throw another live session next week.
Innings Limits and a Cautious Build-Up
When Ohtani does rejoin the rotation, the Dodgers plan to limit him to just one, two or three innings at a time, building him up slowly rather than rushing him into a heavy workload. Roberts said Ohtani still needs to complete the necessary work and pass certain tests and markers before he can make full-length starts in October, the outlet's report notes. The organization's goal remains getting him stretched out for the postseason without risking a setback to the same knee.
Ohtani's absence from the mound has coincided with a broader reshuffling of the Dodgers' pitching staff. Tyler Glasnow, who last started a big-league game on May 6 before lower back spasms put him on the injured list for 60 days, completed a four-start rehab assignment by striking out nine batters over 5.1 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on August 19, according to RotoWire. Across that rehab stint he posted a 1.32 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 13.2 innings, and he is expected to start Tuesday in Atlanta as he rejoins the rotation.
A Loaded Rotation Pushes Wrobleski to the Bullpen
Glasnow's return joins an already crowded group that includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell and newly acquired Tarik Skubal. Snell came back on August 11 after nearly three months out following elbow surgery to remove loose bodies, striking out 10 against the Kansas City Royals, as Fox Sports reported. The Dodgers acquired Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young winner, from the Detroit Tigers on August 3 in exchange for three minor-league prospects — the first time in franchise history the club has traded for a reigning Cy Young winner, per MLB.com's account of the deal. With that many arms healthy at once, rookie Justin Wrobleski, who struck out nine over seven innings against Colorado during Ohtani's 300th-homer game, is expected to move to the bullpen after making 20 starts this season.
The bullpen has its own question marks. Closer Edwin Díaz, sidelined by neck inflammation and currently on the 15-day injured list, played catch Friday but will not be rushed back into the closer's role, the Chronicle reported.
Andy Pages' Hand Fracture Reshapes the Outfield
The Dodgers also lost a key everyday piece this week when outfielder Andy Pages fractured his left hand after being hit by a 100.2 mph sinker from Pittsburgh's Bubba Chandler. Pages was enjoying a breakout season, batting .272 with 21 home runs, 80 RBIs and 5.6 bWAR across 128 games on his way to a first career All-Star selection, according to Yardbarker. He has gone on the injured list with a recovery floor of four weeks and may need surgery, though Roberts said he expects Pages to return at full health.
To fill the gap, the Dodgers recalled outfielder Alek Thomas from Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he had posted an .855 OPS before the call-up, Athlon Sports notes. Thomas, acquired in a May trade after Arizona designated him for assignment, batted just .181 in 28 games with the Diamondbacks earlier this season. He is expected to play center field against right-handed pitchers, while Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández could see time there against lefties.
At 78-51 and holding a 9.0-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the National League West, the Dodgers have the cushion to be patient with Ohtani's mound progression even as the calendar pushes toward October. The team enters the stretch on a four-game winning streak, per StatMuse, giving the front office room to prioritize long-term health over short-term urgency. That comfort is a shift from July, when knee irritation forced Ohtani from the All-Star Game and left his return to pitching without a clear date.
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