LOS ANGELES -- The day that the Dodgers have been waiting for since they signed Shohei Ohtani to a then-record contract is nearly here: Ohtani's first start as a pitcher in a Dodgers uniform is set for Monday night against the Padres.
"The live, simulated or whatever sort of ran its course," manager Dave Roberts said after Sunday's 5-4 win over the Giants. "He's ready to make his debut on the mound."
Ohtani is not built up to make full starts, but the Dodgers feel confident using him as a multi-inning opener. There's a possibility that he only goes one inning in his first time out, Roberts said. But with the team regularly using bullpen games anyway, anything that Ohtani can contribute is an added benefit.
If it seems like Ohtani's slow and steady buildup as a pitcher has accelerated in a hurry in recent weeks, that's because it has. He faced hitters for the first time on May 25 at Citi Field, just 22 days before he's set to take the mound in the big leagues for the first time since Aug. 23, 2023.
That previous start came about a month before he underwent a procedure to repair his right ulnar collateral ligament. It was his second major surgery on his right elbow. He also had surgery this past offseason on his left shoulder, which has led the Dodgers to approach his progression as a pitcher with added caution.
The Dodgers said all along that once Ohtani began facing hitters, they would have a better idea of his timeline. Once he began throwing live sessions, the team realized that the effort he was expending as he built up was getting close to game-level intensity.
The roster flexibility from Ohtani's two-way player status is another factor that makes this plan possible. The Dodgers will be able to roll out a six-man rotation without being down an arm in the bullpen because Ohtani does not count against the team's designated 13 roster spots for pitchers.
So at this point in his buildup, the Dodgers figured, why not use him in a game?
"I think it's more driven by the fact that it doesn't necessarily need to be a typical starting pitcher rampup," Roberts said. "Then to potentially keep running this process out, to have him taxed for a game, where he feels that he's equipped to go an inning or two and then continue to build up from there right now -- in that sense, not surprising.
"But yeah, a week ago we were talking about another live and potentially getting to four innings, things like that. But the conversations, the confidence that he has, it's time to go."
For much of Ohtani's in-season buildup, it had seemed likely that his first appearance as a pitcher would not come until after the All-Star break. It wasn't until last Tuesday in San Diego, after Ohtani upped his workload to three innings and 44 pitches in his third live session, that Roberts said there was a "north of zero" chance that the superstar could pitch in a game before then.
Speaking through interpreter Will Ireton on Saturday night -- not long after hitting his 250th career homer -- Ohtani said the "intensity was there" and his stuff felt "game-ready" in his previous live session. While returning to his two-way duties takes more of a toll on his body, it's not something that's new to him.
"I do feel like just being the two-way player I used to be is the norm," he said. "Last year was the abnormal year for me, and it’s about getting back to what I used to do."
Ohtani was such a force in his first season with the Dodgers -- when he created the 50-50 club and won his third unanimous MVP Award -- that anticipation is high to see how good he can be as a fully actualized two-way player once more. In five seasons as a pitcher, Ohtani has posted a 3.01 ERA across 86 big league starts. He has a 142 ERA+ in that span.
Even his live sessions drew plenty of attention. His teammates were a rapt audience at all three of them, and opposing players were equally curious to catch a glimpse.
The Dodgers can only imagine how a packed Dodger Stadium will react to finally seeing Ohtani on the mound.
"I think that for me, I'm still a baseball fan first. I really am," Roberts said. "The anticipation here for the game is, man, it's going to be bananas when it happens. There's been a lot of anticipation. … I think that it's great for the game. It's good for our team. Our guys are excited about this potential. Most important, I'm excited for Shohei."