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06/16 20:04 CDT Shohei Ohtani to make his long-awaited return to the mound in an abbreviated start for the Dodgers Shohei Ohtani to make his long-awaited return to the mound in an abbreviated start for the Dodgers By BETH HARRIS AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) --- Shohei Ohtani is set to make his highly anticipated Los Angeles Dodgers pitching debut, 643 days after the two-way superstar had elbow surgery. "He's ready, he's adamant, he feels good, strong, ready to pitch a major league game," manager Dave Roberts said Monday. "I think everyone in that clubhouse, I think the fans, media, we've been waiting for this moment." Ohtani will start and pitch an inning or two and also bat leadoff as the designated hitter against the San Diego Padres on Monday night in the series opener. The first three batters he'll face are Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arrez and Manny Machado. "I think I got the best seat in the house to watch it and to watch this guy start and then take an at-bat," Roberts said. "This is bananas. I'm thrilled." Major League Baseball is making the game available for free on streaming site MLB.tv. The Japanese right-hander will be pitching in a big league game about three weeks after facing hitters in simulated at-bats for the first time. All the while, Ohtani was still wielding his powerful bat in the lineup for the NL West leaders. "It got to the point where, hey, it feels like we should take that next step and almost look to finish the rehab at the major league level because of the taxing nature of what he was doing," Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. Typically, pitchers returning from injuries go on minor league rehab assignments, but Ohtani is an exception. "It's been really encouraging overall the way he's bounced back and been able to continue to feel good doing both," Gomes said. Roberts said: "You've got to hear the player and trust the player." Roberts briefly considered not having Ohtani bat leadoff, but the slugger assured his manager he was fine with it. "It could change going forward," Roberts said, "but right now he feels very comfortable with taking the mound and coming in the dugout and getting on his stuff to go take an at-bat." Gomes acknowledged the team is in a unique situation, trying to balance Ohtani's offensive prowess with his pitching ability while erring on the side of caution. "We don't know how he's going to come out, if his legs are going to be tired. We have to make sure that we're also keeping one of our best hitters in the lineup," Gomes said. "It has to be an ongoing conversation and making sure that Shohei is the one driving this conversation." The three-time MVP is batting .290 with 25 homers, which leads the National League, 41 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in the leadoff spot. While Ohtani won't be throwing deep into the game, just his presence on the mound figures to bolster a staff that has been decimated by injuries. The Dodgers have eight starters, including Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, and six relievers on the injured list. Roberts said he and the coaches will be watching Ohtani's command, delivery, and ability to repeat his mechanics. "Like he always does, he's going to give everything he has and we expect a high-quality outing," Gomes said. Ohtani is already on the roster as the designated hitter, so the Dodgers are essentially adding an extra pitcher without having to make a corresponding roster move. "It's not going to be a once-every-five-day situation, so there's going to be plenty of time to recover," Roberts said. "We also have the luxury of pitching him as much as we want as far as in a particular outing." Ohtani helped the Dodgers win their eighth World Series title --- and his first --- last season, the first of a $700 million, 10-year contract. He earned his third MVP award and first in the National League. He hasn't pitched since 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels. He was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 23 starts that season. His last mound appearance was on Aug. 23, 2023, when he got hurt during an outing against Cincinnati. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery on Oct. 1, 2018, and is recovering from a second significant right elbow surgery on Sept. 19, 2023. As a pitcher, Ohtani is 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings during his major league career. "The main goal is obviously to have him strong down the stretch run and through October," Gomes said. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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