Shohei Ohtani: When will the Dodgers star pitch again?

Shohei Ohtani’s first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers has proven to be productive as a hitter.

The superstar player signed a massive 10-year, $700 million contract earlier this year because of his dual-threat ability as both a hitter and pitcher.

Ohtani became the first player to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.

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While he has capitalized on his opportunities at the plate, he continues to work his way back from elbow reconstruction surgery that's negated his ability to pitch this season.

Here's what you need to know about Ohtani's chances of getting on the mound for the postseason:

Has Shohei Ohtani been pitching?

Ohtani began publicly testing his arm from a mound on August 24, just one day after joining the 40-40 club.

He’s continued to work his arm, even as recently as Wednesday when he spent 15 minutes at Dodger Stadium working on his pitching form before a big game against the San Diego Padres.

Ohtani also worked on throwing some harder strikes from a shorter distance against a padded wall in the outfield after the session.

Ohtani was joined on the field by members of the Dodgers' staff and interpreter Will Ireton, who was seen recording Ohtani's form on a cell phone for the star pitcher to evaluate shortly after.

“I don’t know,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about the pregame throwing session. "I wrote his name in the lineup to hit and I think he'll be in there. I don’t know his (throwing) program."

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Will Shohei Ohtani pitch during the MLB postseason?

Ohtani hasn't been officially ruled out as a pitcher for the playoffs but all signs point to his return to the mound coming during the 2025 season.

"They're supposed to have this big meeting," Roberts said on Wednesday to reporters. "I'll be there when it happens."

Roberts' comments indicate that any formal discussion for the star player to pitch hasn't happened yet with just three games remaining in the regular season.

Roberts also made comments earlier this month that suggested the star player could pitch, but that has since been tampered down.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told the Orange County Register that the possibility of Ohtani pitching during the postseason was “not really an option.”

When the Dodgers do meet with Ohtani, it'll likely be to discuss the next phase of his rehab and the optimal schedule that will prepare him to pitch next season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Shohei Ohtani pitch during the 2024 postseason?