Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided an update on when Shohei Ohtani might return to the mound.
"Hopefully soon, he's going to start facing some hitters," Roberts told "The Jim Rome Show" on Thursday. "Time of return, we're still a couple months away. I know that's still vague, but we're just trying to get to the next step and see where we're at. But certainly expect him to pitch for us this year and in the postseason."
Ohtani hasn't made a major-league start since undergoing elbow surgery when he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels near the end of the 2023 campaign.
The 30-year-old restarted his pitching preparation in March after the Dodgers paused the process for a little more than a month, taking what Roberts called a "long-term play."
Ohtani threw a bullpen session over the weekend and Roberts was impressed by how he looked.
"He looked great," Roberts said. "It's just easy velocity, and this guy, he's a unicorn. He is physical, he's big. He's throwing his fastball, four-seamer, two-seamer, his split, and he's kind of easy 92, 93 (mph)."
Ohtani owns a 38-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and 11.36 K/9 in 86 career starts.