The Dodgers are pumping a break from his precious two-way star shoe Hei Big Tani's return to the mound.
After undergoing Tommy John's surgery in September 2023, Otani appears not yet ready to return to a fierce bullpen session this spring.
“We felt it was not smart to strengthen the bullpen along the intensity of the game (as designated batsmen),” said manager Dave Roberts. According to the Orange County League Star.
“So we just wanted to slow play it.”
Roberts previously said Otani would return to pitching full-time in May, but this latest update is unclear whether this is considered a setback, but could threaten the date of its target.
Otani abandoned the mound on February 25th and has not collided since.
“I just feel it, and we're all just trying to make it a wide range of time,” Roberts continued.
He added that he is not trying to set “any kind of expectations” for Otani's return to pitching.
Otani hasn't pitched the Dodgers yet, and last took the mound as an angel member before leaving for his in-state rivals in the offseason.
Otani was a young candidate for Cy when he pitched a 2.33 ERA AD 219 strikeout in 166 innings in 2022.
He finished fourth in the Cy Young poll that year.
The Dodgers definitely don't even have to pitch him. Given that their rotation has more talent than any other team in the major leagues.
They currently have stars-scattered spins, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blakesnell, Tyler Grasnow, Roki Sasaki, Tony Gonsorin, Clayton Carshow.
That rotation combines the most Cy Young awards in MLB this year.
