Shohei Ohtani resumes hitting; Dodgers still expect him back in regular season

Shohei Ohtani’s return timeline came back into focus Tuesday when the Los Angeles Dodgers star resumed hitting work, taking swings off a tee for the first time since going on the injured list.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the club’s game in Cincinnati that the session was a positive step, and he still expects Ohtani to get into some regular-season games before the postseason. Because Ohtani’s injured list move was backdated to Sept. 8, the earliest he could be activated is Sept. 23.

That makes Tuesday’s update significant for a Dodgers club trying to ramp up one of baseball’s most productive players in time for October, even if his exact return date is still unsettled.

The official MLB transactions log lists Ohtani on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Sept. 8, with right biceps inflammation. MLB.com also reported that Ohtani had been shut down the previous week because of lingering right biceps soreness and left knee soreness.

Roberts indicated the club is proceeding carefully.

“I don't know what's in store for tomorrow, but I know that there's going to be a consistent buildup. Don't know when the time of return to play is, but today was positive, and hopefully we can just keep building towards that,” Roberts said, according to MLB.com.

He added: “Whether it happens or not is to be determined, but I do expect him to be back to play in some regular-season games. Don't know how many of them.”

When Ohtani returns, it will be strictly as a hitter. The Dodgers’ plan is not to use him on the mound again this season, with his pitching duties deferred until 2027.

That limitation still leaves the Dodgers trying to get back a major middle-of-the-order bat. Entering Tuesday, Ohtani was hitting .277 with 30 home runs, 80 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and a .902 OPS in 502 at-bats, according to his official MLB player page.

His overall value this year has been even larger because he also contributed as a front-line starter before the shutdown. In 14 starts, Ohtani went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA over 85 2/3 innings and struck out 95, though those pitching numbers now serve mostly as a reminder of what the Dodgers will be without on the mound for the rest of 2026.

The recent injury interruption also came after a rough stretch at the plate. MLB.com reported that over his final 24 games before being shut down, Ohtani hit .198, going 19 for 96 with a .690 OPS and 34 strikeouts. The Dodgers believed he looked physically compromised late in that span, which helps explain why the club chose to stop him and reset his buildup rather than push through the soreness.

The Dodgers have already clinched a postseason berth, giving them room to focus on getting Ohtani healthy for the stretch run and October.