About three months removed from surgery to repair a labrum tear in his left shoulder, an injury he suffered after a dislocation during Game 2 of the World Series, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani said Wednesday that he's still experiencing "discomfort" but that it's "not really debilitating."
"I do feel like there’s some discomfort that I have to still overcome, [but] it’s not really debilitating," Ohtani said through an interpreter, via The Los Angeles Times. "Just a limited range of motion. I’ve gone through it with the elbow before. With the shoulder, it’s a little bit more complicated. I do believe that’s the part that I have to be patient with."
Ohtani's shoulder may not be 100 percent yet, but he certainly looked to be in MVP form while taking batting practice at the Dodgers' spring training site at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz.
Shohei Ohtani taking BP at Dodgers camp today. The last swing in this video went very far pic.twitter.com/FRRXgZR7HP
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) February 12, 2025
While Ohtani continues to recover from shoulder surgery, he's also gearing up for a return to the mound, as he hasn't pitched in a regular season game since August of 2023, after he underwent surgery to repair a UCL tear that September.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on Wednesday said that Ohtani won't pitch when the club begins Cactus League play, but that he will see game action as the designated hitter. The plan is for Ohtani to begin pitching in regular season action come summertime.
Roberts added that, given that Ohtani will be returning to his two-way duties in '25, that the Dodgers may see fit to encourage him to steal fewer bases than the 59 he swiped this past season. Los Angeles's skipper also said he could look to give the reigning National League MVP some extra days off as well, via the Los Angeles Times.
Ohtani, for his part, said he'd like to play as much as possible but added that he'd heed the team's wishes.
"But if the team feels like I should get a break," Ohtani added through an interpreter, "I'll follow that."
Ohtani, in his first season in Los Angeles after signing a $700 million contract in December of '23, authored a campaign for the ages as a full-time hitter, becoming the first member of the 50-home run, 50-stolen base club while posting a robust .310/.390/.646 slash line in 159 games played. He then helped the Dodgers win the World Series against the New York Yankees.
He and the Dodgers will begin Cactus League play on Feb. 20. The club opens the '25 season in Tokyo, Japan against the Chicago Cubs on March 18.
More of the Latest Around MLB
This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Is Faring in Recovery From Injury Suffered in World Series.
