Shohei to make first start of second half on Monday vs. Twins

LOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani's next start on the mound will come on Monday night against the Twins at Dodger Stadium, manager Dave Roberts said. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PT.

For much of the year, Ohtani was not expected to make his Dodgers pitching debut until after the All-Star break. He ended up making five first-half starts -- essentially serving as a multi-inning opener while continuing to build his workload -- and has held opponents to one run on five hits in nine innings, striking out 10 against two walks.

As a hitter, Ohtani led the National League with 32 homers and a .987 OPS before the All-Star break.

Ohtani stretched out to three innings in his final start before the break, and Roberts said the goal is to get him through three again on Monday. After that, the two-way superstar could build up to four innings his next time on the mound. If he continues on the same trajectory, Ohtani could potentially be making full-length starts around mid-August.

Dustin May will follow Ohtani against the Twins, which won't necessarily be the regular setup going forward.

"This is a one-off," Roberts said. "It’s probably not going to be Dustin the next time. Just kind of building around Shohei as he continues to build up, too."

While the Ohtani-May tandem might not be an ongoing arrangement, it's a logical means of managing May's workload in the second half. May has long exceeded his previous single-season career high of 56 innings in 2020, tossing 94 1/3 innings and posting a 4.96 ERA in 17 starts.