Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on August 11, 2026, that Shohei Ohtani's next step in his return to pitching will be throwing off the mound. "Probably the next progression is getting on the mound," Roberts said.
Roberts outlined that Ohtani's rehab process will include bullpens, then a live session, before rejoining major league games. "The rehab games are going to be major league games," he noted. He added that he would feel comfortable with Ohtani pitching again once Ohtani takes a major league-caliber inning off a live session, stating, "after the live I feel good that a major league inning that he could take down."
Roberts emphasized that Ohtani's health remains the top priority regardless of roster options such as Scott or Snell, explaining, "just his health is kind of the main thing anyway." He also mentioned that Ohtani wants to be healthy and available for the postseason, which reinforced a cautious, gradual approach following a bullpen setback in Philadelphia. According to Roberts, Ohtani threw the ball more than 200 feet the previous day, and Roberts referenced the process of building up Ohtani's innings gradually over the course of the 2025 season as a blueprint for the current return.
Roberts noted that the team made a roster move, optioning Seth Halverson and recalling Landon Knack to protect bullpen length, saying, "we got Landon Knack back." He also said Ohtani is scheduled to pitch on Friday or Sunday, and that Tyler Glasnow is on his way to throw three innings. Roberts expressed excitement about the rotation coming together with Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani and Glasnow all contributing down the stretch, adding, "it's kind of coming together. So very excited." He also praised Snell's performance from the previous night as part of that assessment.
Dodgers catcher Oscar Hernandez separately said Mookie Betts' performance the previous night marked a return to form after a rough stretch in Arizona, noting, "thought yesterday was back to, you know, being who he is."
Asked about Mark Walter selling the Lakers, Roberts reacted with surprise, saying it was above everyone's pay grade and that he had heard nothing about changes to Dodgers ownership. "I was shocked, uh, like I think everyone else was," he said. Roberts confirmed that Ohtani's scheduled pitching appearance for Friday or Sunday remains the next checkpoint in the gradual return plan.