Ohtani to return to mound vs. Padres on Monday

Shohei Ohtani volition marque his long-awaited instrumentality to pitching connected Monday nighttime successful a matchup against the division-rival San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced.

Ohtani, 21 months removed from a 2nd repair of his ulnar collateral ligament, volition beryllium utilized arsenic an opener, apt throwing 1 inning. Because of his two-way designation, Ohtani qualifies arsenic an other pitcher connected the roster, giving the Dodgers the flexibility to usage a piggyback starter down him.

That is fundamentally what volition instrumentality spot successful his archetypal fistful of starts -- a byproduct of the advancement Ohtani has made successful the precocious stages of his pitching rehab.

Ohtani, 30, initially seemed to beryllium progressing toward a instrumentality immoderate clip astir August. But helium made a large measurement during his 3rd simulated crippled from San Diego's Petco Park connected Tuesday, throwing 44 pitches implicit the people of 3 simulated innings and compiling six strikeouts against a mates of low-level insignificant leaguers.

Afterward, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it was a "north of zero" accidental Ohtani could instrumentality earlier the All-Star break. When helium met with reporters anterior to Sunday's crippled against the San Francisco Giants -- an eventual 5-4 triumph -- Roberts said it was a "possibility" Ohtani could transportation aft conscionable 1 much simulated game.

After the game, Roberts indicated the timeline mightiness person been pushed adjacent further, telling reporters it was a "high possibility" Ohtani would transportation successful a large league crippled this week arsenic an opener, apt during the upcoming four-game bid against the Padres.

"He's acceptable to transportation successful a large league game," Roberts told reporters. "He fto america know."