Ohtani to start throwing again, could play outfield for LA in '24

SEOUL -- Shohei Ohtani's focus heading into Wednesday’s season opener against the Padres in South Korea is solely on what he’ll be able to provide at the plate as the team’s designated hitter.

But when the Dodgers get back to Los Angeles this weekend, Ohtani, who went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in the two exhibition games in Seoul, will take the first step toward getting back as a pitcher during the 2025 season.

On Monday vs. Team Korea, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Ohtani will begin a throwing program when the club returns to the United States after the Seoul Series against San Diego.

“We’ll see how that progression goes,” Roberts said. “I do know he’s not gonna pitch this year. But right now, our only focus is him being a designated hitter.”

As Roberts stated, Ohtani will not pitch in ‘24. He underwent a second major right elbow surgery in September, and the Dodgers won’t rush him to get back on the mound. Roberts said he was not sure if Ohtani would be able to at least throw to hitters at some point this season.

While the mound isn’t in the cards for Ohtani this season, there’s a possibility that Ohtani could play in the outfield later in the season, if needed. A lot of that will be determined by how his throwing program goes over the next few months -- and if the team has a need in the outfield at any point in the season. Of course, this is all very premature, and it will only be a possibility if Ohtani is vocal about wanting to play the field.

Earlier this spring, Ohtani got a pair of gloves delivered to his locker. One of them was an outfielder’s glove while the other was a first baseman's mitt. With Freddie Freeman handling first, that likely won’t be a realistic need for Ohtani.

STONE LOCKS UP FIFTH SPOT

Gavin Stone was one of the main bright spots for the Dodgers this spring, and the rookie right-hander got rewarded for it on Monday. Stone announced that Roberts confirmed to him that he’ll be the Dodgers’ No. 5 starter when the season rolls around.

“I’m incredibly, incredibly thankful for that,” Stone said. “I’m very appreciative of that and I’m just looking forward to taking advantage of it.”

Stone posted a 0.93 ERA in three Cactus League appearances this spring. On Monday, Stone saved his best outing for last, striking out eight over 3 1/3 dominant innings of work. He punched out eight of the 11 batters he faced.

“I think with Gavin, like a lot of our young pitchers, [it's all about] just kind of sharpening up the command,” Roberts said. “For me, there’s just a lot less arm-side misses. He’s been able to repeat his delivery. So for me, that shows a lot of growth for him.”

Stone was the Dodgers’ top pitching prospect entering the ‘23 season, but he struggled to produce at the big league level. The right-hander was tipping his pitches at one point in the season and was never able to establish himself in the Majors.

But with that failure came even more determination. Stone added 10-12 pounds this offseason and began working on adding a couple more pitches that would complement his four-seamer and signature changeup. It has all clicked for Stone this spring.

• Everything you need to know about the Seoul Series

Stone rounds out a rotation that features Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Bobby Miller and James Paxton, with Clayton Kershaw expected to join the group sometime this summer.

With Stone getting the nod in the rotation, Michael Grove will now likely start the season in the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever. Grove was also impressive this spring, but the Dodgers like how explosive his stuff is coming out of the bullpen.

Right-hander Kyle Hurt will also likely be in the Dodgers’ bullpen for the two-game Seoul Series against the Padres. Hurt is still viewed as a starter long-term, which means he'll likely head back to the Minors once the Dodgers return home and need to carry their full complement of starting pitchers on the active roster.