"Shohei Ohtani's routine was insane" - Ex-Brewers 3x All-Star details Japanese phenom's training and warm-up regime as Angels' two-way player

The Los Angeles Dodgers added a reliable arm by signing two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell this offseason. However, the rotation will be further strengthened by Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound next season.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has confirmed that Ohtani will be resuming his pitching duties next year after playing in a restricted role as a DH in his first year with the team following a Tommy John surgery last year.

With Ohtani set to showcase his two-way ability for the Dodgers next season, "Diggin' Deep Podcast" host Eric Hosmer asked the Japanese All-Star's former Angels teammate Mike Moustakas about his routine as a two-way player.

Moustakas said (15:30):

"All the other days he wasn't pitching, he was he was in the weight room. His routine was insane. He had it mapped out to the minute, kind of like Gordo. Every minute you knew Ohtani was gonna be at it in the training rooms, in the weight room, doing arm care."

The former Milwaukee Brewers All-Star continued on Ohtani's limited BP time:

"Rarely did Ohtani come out and hit BP on the field. He comes down to the cage, does a 30-minute routine in the cage; then he'd be ready to go. And then I mean, you see what see what he's capable of doing on the field.

"But on his start days, he'd be a starting pitcher and then, 30 minutes before, 20 minutes before, after he's done warming up, he comes down to the cage, gets his swings in, does his routine and then he's ready to rock. It was insane."

Hosmer, a former World Series winner, acknowledged the reduced BP time from the players over the years after learning about Shohei Ohtani's routine that helped him stay "locked in."

Dave Roberts rules out Shohei Ohtani pitching in Dodgers' first MLB series in 2025

Although Shohei Ohtani is going to be part of a six-man rotation for the Dodgers next season, Dabe Roberts has said the Japanese star will be eased into pitching and the priority is to keep him healthy through to October.

Roberts ruled out Ohtani pitching against the Chicago Cubs when the Dodgers open their MLB season in March next year at the Tokyo Dome.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen. I expect him to be in the lineup as a hitter,” Roberts said. “But as far as the pitching. He hasn’t pitched in over a year. We have to manage how many innings he has for 2025. If we start him in March he won’t be able to sustain that through October.”

Shohei Ohtani produced a historic 50-50 season in his first year with the team, and it'll be interesting to see how he manages his pitching duties from next season.