Shohei Ohtani to pitch for first time in Dodger uniform on Monday

Shohei Ohtani pitches live BP at Dodger Stadium

Shohei Ohtani is inching closer to pitching for the Dodgers as he throws live batting practice for the first time at home in front of the cameras. The update comes more than a year after he underwent elbow surgery.

LOS ANGELES - The wait is over, baseball fans. Shohei Ohtani will make his pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, June 16.

Well, sort of.

The Dodgers announced on social media on Sunday night that Ohtani will "start" on Monday's game against the San Diego Padres.

However, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Ohtani is expected to pitch the game as an opener. This means Ohtani is not expected to pitch more than an inning or two.

The announcement marks the end of a long wait for both Ohtani and the baseball world have not seen the 3-time MVP take the mound since August 2023, when Ohtani suffered a season-ending elbow injury.

After undergoing elbow surgery in 2023, Ohtani rehabbed for the entire 2024 World Series-winning season as well as the first three-plus months of the 2025 season.