The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal before the 2024 season. The magnitude of the contract stemmed from the fact that he can both hit and pitch at an elite level.
In his first year in LA, Ohtani won National League MVP and helped the Dodgers win the World Series. He accomplished all of that despite not pitching, as he was still recovering from elbow surgery in September 2023. So far in 2025, Ohtani still has not returned to the mound. However, the team has remained patient, knowing he will soon resume his role as a rare two-way star.
With Ohtani’s return appearing close, Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy shared his thoughts on how the team feels about the slow, careful approach to bringing back their $700 million superstar.
Max Muncy Keeps It Real Amid Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Plan
Muncy spoke about the team’s plan, stating that health is their top priority, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.
Shohei Ohtani is on track to join the Dodgers’ rotation next month, with a slight chance he could return to the mound before the All-Star break, per @Alden_Gonzalez. pic.twitter.com/gz2a9DnBcG
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 11, 2025
“We need him to be healthy,” Muncy said. “They’re moving slow, and we’re all happy about that. We obviously want him to be pitching, but we want him to be healthy first and foremost. When you’re doing what he’s doing, it’s so unprecedented that I don’t know if there is a proper timeline. He might be moving faster than what he should be moving right now; we don’t really know that because it’s just never really been done before.”
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman also spoke about the team’s viewpoint on this matter.
“Viewing it on a shorter-term horizon, it’s easy to want to be aggressive and push,” Friedman said. “I think both from him and from us. But we set out to view this as putting him in the best position to pitch over the next nine years and prioritizing longevity, and this first year back, it’s really important for that long-term aspect to not be too aggressive right now.”
Ohtani did recently throw simulated innings, which is a positive sign for his development. Before the season, there was no clear timeline for when Ohtani would return, and the team has stood by the lack of timeline.
Shohei Ohtani threw 44 pitches across three simulated innings. Today marked his third time facing hitters. Here’s him striking out his final batter: pic.twitter.com/StYQ0DxaBP
— Sonja Chen (@SonjaMChen) June 10, 2025
That said, it appears that a potential return to the mound is on the horizon. At first, many speculated that the Dodgers would have Ohtani return to the mound after the All-Star break. In this plan, Ohtani would ease into his return by being limited in his pitches and innings in July through September.
Now, manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, that there is a possibility Ohtani returns before the All-Star break. Either way, the star will be eased into his return to make sure he can be utilized in October.
This season, the Dodgers have continued to deal with injury after injury to the pitching staff. Despite making big and multiple moves this offseason, pitching looks like the biggest need at this summer’s trade deadline. Getting Ohtani back would be a massive boost for the defending World Series champions as they badly need reinforcements on the mound.