It was known all along that Shohei Ohtani wasn’t going to pitch this season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed him to a massive 10-year, $700 million contract with the knowledge that as a pitcher, he was going to need time to recover from surgery on his right (throwing) elbow.

Initially, it was expected that Ohtani would just be a designated hitter for the Dodgers in 2024 and then resume his hitting and pitching duties in 2025. 

It does sound like Ohtani’s arm may be ahead of schedule, though. So much so that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed on Monday that the superstar will soon start a throwing program that could see him end up playing in the field this season.

“Shohei this year is primarily going to be the designated hitter. Once we get back to the States, he is going to start his throwing program, which he hasn’t started yet. We’ll see how that progression goes. If his arm is healthy enough, we’ll have that conversation in the field,” Roberts said, per ESPN. “I do know he’s not going to pitch this year.”

Again, pitching was always out of the equation but it would be big news that Ohtani’s elbow has healed up enough to the point of him being able to play in the field. 

Which position he would play is not yet known, but he does have experience as an outfielder from his time with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Nippon Professional Baseball Pacific League.

Where he would play is not as much the story as the fact that his arm is progressing well, though. That’s good news for the Dodgers, especially as they look forward to getting Ohtani back on the bump in 2025.