DETROIT — Shohei Ohtani is making his road back to pitching in a game curiouser and curiouser.
As expected, Ohtani threw a bullpen session on Friday afternoon at Comerica Park. Unexpected, though, was its length. Ohtani threw approximately 20 pitches and did not appear to be throwing near full effort for much of it. A normal bullpen session before starting a game is usually in the 30- to 35-pitch range.
“I haven’t talked to Shohei. I’m going to circle back with him shortly after this,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It was short. I wasn’t out there for it. I’ve got to talk to (pitching coach) Mark (Prior) as well.
“I think it was about 20 pitches. I really don’t know what to make of it because I didn’t put eyes on it. Obviously I’ve got to talk to Shohei, talk to Mark and then we’ll make a decision for Sunday. But again I have to have that conversation.”
Ohtani has not pitched in a game since July 3. He was shut down for almost three weeks after getting an injection to treat pain in his left knee. He tried throwing a bullpen session on July 21 but had renewed discomfort in the knee and stopped his throwing program briefly.
Once Ohtani resumed throwing, he progressed to throwing bullpen sessions about two weeks ago and threw 30 pitches in a live batting practice session with catcher Will Smith last Saturday. He was expected to throw another live BP this week but that became Friday’s bullpen session instead.
When he is pitching regularly, Ohtani throws his between-starts bullpen session two days before he pitches in a game. Friday’s session would line up with him returning to pitch on Sunday in Detroit, but Roberts said the Dodgers could also push that back to Tuesday (they are off Monday).
Ohtani is expected to throw just one inning in his first time back in a game. Tyler Glasnow also threw a bullpen session on Friday and will pitch Sunday – either following Ohtani or starting the game if Ohtani does not pitch.
The Dodgers are hopeful of building Ohtani up to the point where he can make normal starts in the postseason, going five or six innings.
CATCHING UP
Will Smith caught seven innings and went 0 for 3 in his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday night and was scheduled to play again on Friday, his first back-to-back games since returning from his neck injury.
Dalton Rushing has started a throwing program after being shut down with a slight ligament tear in his right elbow.
“I still think it’s unlikely (that Rushing catches again this year),” Roberts said. “But I still think running this play out is smart. We’ll see where it takes us – all the while working on his swing.”
Meanwhile, Hunter Feduccia and Ben Rortvedt have held down the position with Feduccia getting most of the playing time. Saturday was his 14th start. Rortvedt has started eight games.
ALSO
Left-hander Justin Wrobleski has joined OKC to start his own rehab assignment this weekend. Wrobleski is on the injured list with forearm inflammation. He is expected to rejoin the Dodgers next week but move from the starting rotation into a bullpen role for the stretch run and potentially the postseason.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (LHP Blake Snell, 2-1, 2.57 ERA) at Tigers (RHP Keider Montero, 9-8, 3.30 ERA), Saturday, 10:10 a.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM