Ohtani was last in a rotation in 2023, going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 167 strikeouts against 55 walks in 132 innings. The Dodgers plan to be "creative" with Ohtani, which likely means they'll go to six-man rotations at times and possibly even skip him a start or two on the mound while keeping as the everyday DH.

Manager Dave Roberts says Ohtani, 17 months after his second Tommy John surgery and three months after surgery on his non-throwing shoulder, was throwing 92-94 mph.