Shohei Ohtani is returning to the mound. Ohtani will pitch on Monday, serving as the Dodgers starter against the Padres for his first pitching appearance since 2023. Ohtani, who had elbow surgery nearly two years ago, will pitch as an opener, per manager Dave Roberts. He recently threw 44 pitches in a simulated game.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and the team announced that Shohei Ohtani will be the starting pitcher for Monday's game against the San Diego Padres.

Although he won the 2024 National League MVP award and helped the Dodgers win the World Series, Shohei Ohtani had only given the Dodgers half of their expected return on investment — until now.