Shohei Ohtani gets criticized for his 'mistake' by ex-Marlins president amid uncertain timeline for pitching return

Japanese two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani had one of the greatest seasons in MLB history with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 after becoming the first player to reach the 50-50 club (50+ home runs and 50 steals).

The Dodgers superstar capped off a historic season by winning the World Series in October, followed by a third MVP title. However, his accolades didn't come without setbacks as Ohtani tore the labrum in his left shoulder during the Fall Classic.

Ohtani underwent arthroscopic surgery in the offseason to repair his non-throwing shoulder. Following his surgeries (Tommy John in 2023), the three-time MVP is set to return to pitching this season.

But former Marlins president David Samson isn't big on Ohtani resuming pitcher after undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason as he feels it will negatively impact his productivity at the plate.

Samson said (2:30 onwards):

"Focusing on pitching when you're not feeling perfect is a mistake because it can screw up your legs if your arm is hurting. It can screw up your legs if your shoulder's hurting. It can screw up your legs if your shoulders hurting. It can screw up your hitting if anything's hurting."

While Ohtani became the first-ever designated hitter to win an MVP title last year, Samson feels it's not possible to maintain his productivity as a two-way player.

"It's really hard to be a two-way player, which is why we've never seen anything like Ohtani since Babe Ruth, because to be so good at both is impossible. To be a full-time MVP-type hitter is a full-time job. To be a full-time Cy Young award-winning pitcher or Cy Young contending pitcher is a full-time job."

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts updates on Shohei Ohtani's pitching timeline

Shohei Ohtani was expected to resume pitching something in May or June later this year. However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the two-way player will pause his pitching drills to focus on his role as a designated hitter for the Tokyo Series.

"As the game has intensified, his work playing in games, it was sort of trying to give him a little respite from the rehab and to slow him down," Roberts said on Thursday. "We've never really put a time on anything. … We just felt that to intensify the bullpens alongside the intensity of the games wasn't smart, so we just wanted to kind of slow-play it."

It remains to be seen how the latest update impacts Shohei Ohtani's potential return to the mound. He is expected to resume pitching drills after returning from Japan.