LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani faced live hitters at Dodger Stadium on Saturday afternoon, checking off the final box before being cleared to make his long-awaited return to the mound.Ohtani threw 30 pitches, all against rehabbing catcher Will Smith — who has been on the injured list since early June with neck spasms, but should be setting out on a rehab assignment in the near future. The Dodgers have not confirmed whether Ohtani will need to face live hitters again before returning to a major-league mound.“If it were up to Shohei, he’d be in a game in a few days,” Roberts said. “I would assume (there’s) another live BP, but we’re going to make sure we talk to him and get with the training staff as well.”The Dodgers see no reason to rush Ohtani, who has not pitched since July 3 due to left knee inflammation, back to pitching. They’ve repeatedly cited their preference to slow-play Ohtani’s recovery, prioritizing his health for the playoffs. Still, Roberts expressed minimal concern about Ohtani’s knee going forward.“I think it’s behind us,” Roberts said. “I think certainly given the buildup, we’ll be able to manage it.”
Shohei Ohtani is facing Will Smith. pic.twitter.com/ipt0fzNd2h
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) August 22, 2026When Ohtani does return to the mound, the Dodgers plan to stretch him out similarly to how they did last season when he was coming back from elbow surgery. He’ll be used as an opener for at least his first few starts back. Ohtani will likely start with one inning of work before progressing through the typical stages of a starter building back up from recovery. The goal remains to have him built up to six innings by October, where he’ll be one of several aces the Dodgers can choose from to complete their playoff rotation. However, the priority remains keeping him healthy, and the Dodgers won’t push Ohtani in September simply to reach an innings marker.“I would say (six innings) is probably the goal, but also what’s most important is how he’s feeling and how we get there,” Roberts said. “I could sit here and say, yeah, six innings when we start the postseason, but he’s still got to do the work and get there and he’s got to pass some tests and markers.”With Ohtani’s return pending, the back-to-back champs are finally seeing their expected postseason rotation come into form. Blake Snell has looked strong in his two starts back off the IL (12 innings, two earned runs, 15 strikeouts). Tyler Glasnow will be activated off the 60-day IL next week after missing nearly four months with back spasms. He’s expected to start Tuesday, kicking off a pivotal three-game series against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Playoff seeding implications could be in play — the Dodgers entered play Saturday with the second-best record in the National League (78-51), with the Braves (75-55) on their heels.Any added innings from Ohtani at this point of the regular season are considered a bonus. The Dodgers will also happily take his reinstated status as a two-way player to aid their roster construction. The Dodgers have stayed committed to the six-man rotation they have used all season, but with Ohtani restricted to hitting only for the past several weeks, they’ve been relegated to a seven-man bullpen. That has contributed to its collective 4.60 ERA since July 1, the seventh-highest mark in the majors.Ohtani’s two-way status, plus MLB’s upcoming roster expansion on Sept. 1, will allow the Dodgers to maximize their roster configuration for the final month of the regular season.“You get Shohei, so essentially we’re getting two extra pitchers,” Roberts said. “We were in it with the pen and the tax on the bullpen with a seven-man pen for a minute there, but with that expansion of the rosters we’re going to be in a good spot.”It also helps that several reinforcements should return to the club within the next couple of weeks. The Dodgers expect Smith back during the first week of September, when he could take one of the roster expansion spots. Edwin Díaz (neck inflammation) and Justin Wrobleski (forearm inflammation) should be activated off the IL close to the dates they are eligible. When Wrobleski returns, he’ll shift to the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever. When Díaz returns, he will likely see a few games in lower-leverage action to build his confidence before Roberts puts him back in the closer role.Surgery is on the table for Andy Pages, who got hit by a pitch that fractured his left hand in Friday’s 5-4 win over the Pirates. The Dodgers believe Pages will be ready for the postseason, though Roberts said four weeks is “the floor” of Pages’ recovery timeline. Alek Thomas was recalled from Triple A on Saturday as the corresponding move for Pages. Thomas will take the bulk of the reps in center field against righties, while Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández will split time in center against lefties.
