Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound is picking up pace, and fans are getting the opportunity to watch him more. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has confirmed that Ohtani will make his third pitching start of the season on Saturday, June 28, against the Kansas City Royals.
Shohei Ohtani’s next start on the mound will be Saturday in KC, Dave Roberts said.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) June 26, 2025
Ohtani’s comeback as a two-way player has been gradual, with the Dodgers playing it safe after his second Tommy John surgery. Shohei Ohtani has made two brief starts this year, each limited to a single inning. In his first outing, he gave up one run on two hits and threw 28 pitches against the Padres. His second appearance against the Nationals was cleaner, racking up two strikeouts on just 18 pitches.
Shohei Ohtani Continues To Dominate At The Plate
While his pitching remains in the soft-launch phase, Ohtani’s bat hasn’t skipped a beat. Through 80 games this season, he is hitting .291 with 28 home runs, six triples, and 52 RBIs. It’s a stat line that places him in historic company. The last MLB player to reach 28 home runs and six triples in the first 80 games of a season was Willie Mays in 1954.
The 30-year-old has also locked in a starting spot as the National League’s DH in the All-Star Game after leading Phase 1 of fan voting. His offensive production continues to be the backbone of a Dodgers team pushing through injuries and inconsistency in the rotation.
With Saturday’s start on the horizon, fans will watch closely to see if Shohei Ohtani can stretch beyond one inning. There is no pitch count announced yet, but Roberts has stressed that the club will continue to monitor him cautiously as they ramp up toward a full workload later in the season. Dodgers fans are only hoping that Ohtani is not restricted to one inning. The good news is that fans know when Shohei Ohtani is pitching next.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MLB stories via Google! Follow Us
Also Read: MLB Insider Names 5 Players The Diamondbacks Could Sell Before The Trade Deadline
