“We may go with a five-man rotation with a bullpen (game)” – Shohei Ohtani reveals Dodgers’ rotation plans for 2025 season

It's tough to deny that Shohei Ohtani has become the face of Major League Baseball, even though pundits such as Stephen A. Smith did not believe it was possible. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar put on a show in 2024 and continues to defy what fans think is possible on the baseball field.

Last season, Ohtani surprised fans and players by becoming the first player in MLB history to record 50 home runs (54) and 50 stolen bases (59) in a single season. As if that feat wasn't impressive enough, he did this while recovering from an elbow surgery that kept him from pitching at all in 2024.

He has been working himself back up to strength in the hopes of returning to the mound in 2025. The two-way superstar has been electric with the ball in his hand, proving himself as one of baseball's best pitchers. After winning the 2024 Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year Award on Monday, Ohtani provided some insight into the Dodgers' pitching situation heading into 2025.

“We may go with a five-man rotation with a bullpen (game), which is what we did a lot during this season or we may have a six-man rotation, but it’s all about balancing out when we can get rest and recuperate," Ohtani said.

The Los Angeles Dodgers may have won the World Series rather easily in 2024 but managed to improve their pitching staff more this offseason. The Dodgers shocked fans by landing two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell on a five-year, $182 million deal. The deal made one of baseball's best pitching staffs even better, much to the chagrin of fans everywhere.

Shohei Ohtani says his arm is continuing to improve as he eyes a return to the mound

It will be interesting to see how the Los Angeles Dodgers plan on using Shohei Ohtani when he is 100% healthy and cleared to return to pitch in MLB games. After posting an incredible season as the designated hitter, the team might not want to risk him missing any time in 2025.

“I don’t have full range of motion yet, but it feels a lot better," Ohtani said of his arm health. "There’s no pain. There’s obviously still a little bit of tightness, but slowly but surely it’s getting better."

Shohei Ohtani last pitched in 2023, throwing 132.0 innings for the Los Angeles Angels before sustaining his UCL injury. Over those innings, he posted a 10-5 record with a 3.14 ERA while also racking up 167 strikeouts. He also managed to rack up 44 home runs and a .304 batting average that year.