Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani’s Next Start Revealed After Season Debut
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will be making his next appearance on the mound in early April against a familiar foe. Ohtani will be going up against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, April 8, on the road, marking the place where he made the start in the 2025 World Series. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dodgers Nation (@dodgersnation) The righty made his season debut on the mound on Tuesday, March 31 , pitching well despite the rain and the environment being less than ideal.
Despite being a full-time hitter, Ohtani will still make regular starts for the Dodgers, officially serving as a member of the rotation. Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) throws to the plate during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A.
Vasquez-Imagn Images The Dodgers are going to be careful with him, however, as they try to keep him upright for the entire season. He came back from his second Tommy John surgery in the middle of 2025, but he is now starting his first full season as a pitcher with the Dodgers in 2026. In his first start, Ohtani went six clean innings, allowing no runs and putting up six strikeouts.
He only allowed a hit and totaled three walks. He was not totally perfect; his fastball velocity was down, and the spin on his pitches was not ideal, but he still managed to get outs — the main job of a pitcher. Manager Dave Roberts noted that Ohtani was not at his sharpest, but he did a great job battling through the setbacks.
“Obviously in that last inning, the mound started to get to him a little bit,” Roberts said. “Being able to fix it and kind of get his footing back was good to get through that Hoskins at-bat. But yeah, not a whole lot affects his mind.