Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani's next start as a pitcher is scheduled for Saturday against the Houston Astros, according to manager Dave Roberts. Ohtani will be making his fourth start of the year for the Dodgers on the mound. In his three starts against the San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals and Kansas City Royals, the 30-year-od has allowed an earned run on three hits while walking one and striking out three in just four innings. The Japanese hurler went a season-high two frames his last time out while throwing 27 pitches. While Ohtani is expected to continue increasing his workload, he'll essentially be an opener once again this weekend against Houston with Justin Wrobleski working behind him in a bulk-relief role for the Blue. Ohtani just isn't stretched out enough to be a worthwhile fantasy option as a starting pitcher.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani took the mound as the opener for Saturday's game against the Kansas City Royals. Ohtani tossed two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out one batter in the no-decision. The right-hander was able to touch 102 mph on his fastball, and he threw 20-of-27 total pitches for strikes. The plan was always for Ohtani to be done after two innings as the Dodgers are going to slowly ramp him up. He also went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts at the plate in this one. The pitcher version of Ohtani might not offer solid fantasy value until a little later in the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani gave his team a big lift during Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals. Ohtani got the fun started early with a leadoff home run off left-hander Noah Cameron in the first inning. He would later hit an RBI-triple in the fifth inning. Ohtani now has seven hits over his last five games. He finished this game 2-for-3 with a home run, triple, two RBI, two runs scored, and a walk in the win. This was Ohtani's 29th blast of the season, which puts him on pace to hit nearly 60 long balls this season.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Thursday that two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will start as a pitcher Saturday in Kansas City. Ohtani will make his third start on the mound on Saturday as the Dodgers take on the Kansas City Royals. To this point, he has logged one inning in each of his first two starts, and in those two innings combined, he has allowed one earned run, two hits, and has struck out two batters. At this point, it's still unclear as to whether or not the Dodgers will let Ohtani throw more than one inning, but it's encouraging to see him continue to take the mound weekly. Ohtani has served as the designated hitter leadoff batter in both games he's pitched in so far, so this shouldn't impact him being in the lineup as a hitter.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani clubbed his National League-leading 28th home run in a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday. Ohtani gave the Dodgers some late insurance in a close game with a 419-foot solo blast in the top of the seventh inning against right-hander Tyler Kinley. That was Ohtani's only hit, but he also drew a walk in a 1-for-3 showing. Having homered in three of his past four games, the 30-year-old superstar is slashing an exemplary .291/.392/.633 with 52 RBI, a league-best 80 runs, and 11 steals through 373 plate appearances.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he wanted to leave things "open-ended" as far as when right-hander Shohei Ohtani will make his next start, but The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya writes that everything lines up for Ohtani to toe the rubber next in Kansas City against the Royals this Saturday. The 30-year-old Japanese two-way superstar made his pitching debut for L.A. on June 16 against the San Diego Padres and allowed a run in just an inning of work before throwing a shutout inning with two strikeouts in his second start on Sunday versus the Washington Nationals. Ohtani will slowly build up his pitch count as he makes his way back from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in September of 2023, but he won't go deep enough into his third start of the year against the Royals to make it worth using him as a pitcher in fantasy lineups.

Shohei Ohtani's two-way talents were on full display in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 13-7 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday. On the pitching side, the right-hander opened the game for the Dodgers and threw a scoreless first inning with two strikeouts. One hitter reached on an error, but Ohtani otherwise locked down the top of the Nationals' lineup in his second appearance as a pitcher since returning from 2023 Tommy John surgery. Offensively, Ohtani was his typical electrifying self. The three-time MVP filled the box score with a triple, a homer, five RBI, three runs scored, and a walk in a 2-for-4 afternoon. He's now slashing a tremendous .291/.390/.624 with 26 HRs, 49 RBI, 76 runs, and 11 steals over 359 plate appearances.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani will make his second start of the season on Sunday against the Nationals, the team announced early on Thursday morning. Ohtani won the National League MVP last year in his first year for the Dodgers, even though he never threw a pitch, but this year, the two-way sensation has been working his way back to his spot in the starting rotation after his second Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old threw 28 pitches in his season debut on Monday night against the Padres in just one inning of work. His stuff looked good, even though he gave up two hits and a run while struggling with some control issues. He'll continue to ramp up but still be very limited in his start on Sunday, probably only pitching an inning or two as he continues his recovery.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Shohei Ohtani could make his second start of the season Saturday or Sunday against the Washington Nationals, manager Dave Roberts said. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2023, Ohtani made a long-awaited return to pitching in the Dodgers' 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Monday. The 30-year-old served as the Dodgers' opener and threw 28 pitches over one inning, allowing one run on two hits with no strikeouts or walks. Ohtani's command was understandably shaky after such a long layoff, but his velocity topped out at 100.2 mph.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani made his first appearance on the mound for the Dodgers on Monday night in Los Angeles, and he also delivered two hits and two RBI as the leadoff hitter in the team's 6-3 victory. He gave up two hits and one run in a 28-pitch first inning. He settled down after back-to-back singles and a sacrifice fly to get out of the inning, but did not have any strikeouts. At the plate, he doubled to drive in a run in the third inning to tie the game at 1-1 and added an RBI single in the fourth inning to finish 2-for-4 with two RBI and a walk. Ohtani is hitting an even .300 with 25 homers, 11 stolen bases, and 43 RBI in his 71 games this season. He'll continue to progress in his throwing program to be able to go deeper into games, while also remaining a key part of the Dodgers' potent lineup. The two-way superstar is officially back to both pitching and hitting, and it will be exciting to watch the many ways he contributes to the Dodgers as they chase the NL West pennant and ultimately try to defend their World Series title.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Shohei Ohtani (elbow) is finally returning to a major league mound. The Dodgers announced that he will serve as their starting pitcher Monday against the San Diego Padres. Manager Dave Roberts indicated Sunday that Ohtani will work as an opener, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. It'll be Ohtani's first action as a pitcher since August 2023. He underwent Tommy John surgery that September and has been on the mend since. The two-way superstar has continued to thrive as a hitter, even winning his third MVP award last year, and could now help the Dodgers' injury-ravaged pitching staff. Ohtani fared great on the mound with a 3.01 ERA, 11.36 K/9, and 3.23 BB/9 in 481 2/3 innings as a member of the Los Angeles Angels from 2018-23. However, after almost two full years away from pitching, the Dodgers will surely ease him back into the role.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has been off to a slow start in June but came ready to swing the bat on Saturday. Ohtani kicked off the game with a leadoff home run in the first inning. He would later hit another solo home run in the sixth inning. Ohtani finished the night 2-for-3 with two homers, two RBI, and two walks in the win. Ohtani currently leads the National League in homers and trails only American League sluggers Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh. Ohtani is slashing .290/.385/.638 with 25 homers, 41 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 69 games.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Shohei Ohtani (elbow) is making enough progress in his recovery from 2023 Tommy John surgery that he could pitch sooner than expected, manager Dave Roberts announced. Roberts said that the chances of Ohtani pitching before his post-All-Star break timeline are "north of zero," per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Both Roberts and pitching coach Mark Prior came away encouraged from Ohtani's three-inning simulated game on Tuesday. Ohtani hasn't taken a major league mound since August 2023, but the two-way superstar has continued to make an enormous impact as a hitter. The Los Angeles Times' Jack Harris reported on Tuesday that Ohtani threw 44 pitches over three simulated innings, including 23 in his last inning, before the game at Petco Park against the Padres. He allowed a ground-ball single, one walk and had six strikeouts while inducing 15 total whiffs against a few minor-league hitters.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (foot) is in the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the San Diego Padres. Ohtani appears to be fine after getting hit in the foot by a pitch on Sunday. It didn't appear to be a significant issue, but also wouldn't be shocking to see the Dodgers rest their superstar after something like that. Ohtani will serve as the designated hitter and bat leadoff against right-hander Nick Pivetta on Monday. Fantasy managers should make sure to have Ohtani in their lineups.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (elbow) will have his live bullpen session pushed back until Monday. Ohtani was supposed to throw this weekend, but with rain in the forecast the Dodgers have decided to wait until Monday. The right-hander is slowly getting closer to getting back on the mound for the Dodgers. The hope is that Ohtani can contribute on the mound at some point in the second half of the season. The Dodgers aren't going to rush back Ohtani, so fantasy managers will just need to continue waiting patiently.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (elbow) threw a live batting practice session on Saturday. This was the second time that Ohtani has faced live hitters this month. He continues to make progress, but there's still more work to do before he's ready to return to the mound. The Dodgers haven't given much of a timetable for Ohtani. The hope is that he'll be able to help as a pitcher in the second half, but the Dodgers aren't going to rush it. Fantasy managers who have Ohtani as a pitcher will hopefully get something out of him in the second half of the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani kept on mashing on Friday, smacking a pair of solo home runs in an 8-5 victory over the New York Yankees. Ohtani hit both his homers off Yankees ace Max Fried, who was dealt his first loss of the season. The 30-year-old phenom now has a stunning 15 home runs in May, tying his career-high for a single month. For the season, Ohtani has a .294 AVG, 1.064 OPS, 61 runs, 22 homers, 37 RBI, and 11 steals. He leads the league in both homers and runs scored. If there were any doubts about Ohtani's status as the top player in fantasy after a "slow" April, they have been silenced.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani smashed his league-leading 20th home run during a 9-5 defeat of the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday. It was the third straight game with a homer for Ohtani, who knocked in two in the fourth inning on a 363-foot opposite field drive to left against Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee. Ohtani ended the night 1-for-3 with two walks and an additional run scored. The three-time MVP has continued to serve as a fantasy goldmine this season with a .296/.396/.657 line, 35 RBI, 59 runs, and 11 stolen bases through 250 plate appearances.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani didn't take long to deliver during Monday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. Ohtani smacked the first pitch he saw for a 378-foot home run in the opening frame versus right-hander Gavin Williams. He was busy on the base paths as Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a home run, two walks, and three runs scored in the win. Ohtani has homered in back-to-back games and this one marked his league-leading 19th home run of the season. There is a chance that his hitting is dialed back a bit once he's pitching again, but fantasy managers don't need to worry about that for another month or two.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hammered his 18th home run of the season in a loss to the New York Mets on Sunday. Ohtani led the game off with a 411-foot blast against Mets right-hander Kodai Senga, but it was the lone run of the night for the Dodgers in a 3-1 defeat. Ohtani finished 1-for-4 in Sunday's loss. The reigning NL MVP is now tied with New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber for the most homers in the majors. Along with his gaudy HR total, Ohtani has posted a remarkable .295/.388/.638 line with 32 RBI and 11 stolen bases over 240 trips to the plate this season. The lefty-swinging Ohtani will face Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams on Monday.