The two-way star’s recovery from left knee irritation has become the most-watched rehab storyline in baseball, and the latest update offered real encouragement. Ohtani has not pitched in a live game since July 3, but his arm is trending back toward game action while his bat continues to carry the Dodgers’ offense.
Bullpen Progress Signals Return
“Felt good the next day,” Ohtani said through an interpreter after Monday’s win, addressing the knee that has sidelined him as a pitcher for over a month.
Another bullpen session is scheduled for Tuesday, the next checkpoint in a deliberately cautious rehab process. Ohtani owns an 8-2 record and a 1.79 ERA this season on the mound, numbers that explain why the Dodgers have refused to rush him back despite the temptation to accelerate the timeline.
“That’s the hope, and that’s the reason why we’ve been pretty careful in the rehab process,” Ohtani said of his trajectory toward a return to pitching.
Bats Break Out at Coors
While the pitching news dominated the postgame conversation, the Dodgers’ offense finally broke loose in the thin Denver air. Ohtani’s two-homer performance anchored an 11-run outburst that snapped the club out of a recent offensive lull and handed the Rockies their latest loss in a difficult season.
The Dodgers had been waiting for this kind of breakout from their lineup, and Ohtani set the tone early. His power display reinforced why he remains the most dangerous two-way weapon in the sport even while his pitching workload is restricted — the same swing that produced those two home runs is the one the Dodgers are protecting by managing his mound reps.
What Happens Next
Tuesday’s bullpen session will be the next real indicator of whether Ohtani is close to facing live hitters again. If the knee continues to respond cleanly the morning after throwing, the Dodgers could begin mapping out a rehab assignment or simulated game schedule — though the club has shown no willingness to commit to a firm return date.
Watch for how the knee feels Wednesday, the day after Tuesday’s session. That next-day recovery has been the benchmark throughout this process, and a clean report would push Ohtani closer to the two-way workload that made him the offseason’s most valuable acquisition. In the meantime, the Dodgers will keep riding his bat — and if Monday is any indication, that alone is enough to power wins.
— James Okafor, sports desk, AXO News