Dodger's Batting King Ohtani Takes Center Stage in Thrilling Season Starters!

Fresh of a stunning loss to Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic , Shohei Ohtani returned to the Los Angeles’ Dodgers spring training camp with Japanese teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto. MORE: Clayton Kershaw, son share heartwarming moment before WBC final While Yamamoto has already gotten his feet wet on the mound in spring training, Ohtani has not. He hasn’t pitched in a spring training game as a Dodger, in fact, as a result of the major elbow surgery he underwent in September 2023 while playing for the Angels.

On March 17, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani will pitch in the team’s Cactus League game against the San Francisco Giants on March 18, then again during the Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Angels. Shohei Ohtani will pitch in tomorrow’s Cactus League game against the Giants, and again during the Freeway Series, Dave Roberts said. — Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 17, 2026 In effect, Ohtani will have a two-game tuneup as he prepares for his first full season as a pitcher in three years.

Last year, Ohtani didn’t make his pitching debut until June — and even then, he only pitched one inning in each of his first two starts. Soon, the Dodgers will get a sense of how many innings Ohtani will be able to take down at the outset of the new season. According to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group, the right-hander will “possibly” be cleared to pitch 3 or 4 innings against the Giants.

Shohei Ohtani will pitch in #Dodgers game v Giants Wednesday. Possibly 3-4 IP. Wont hit.