Shohei Ohtani Feels Good After Taking First Swings Since IL Placement

Shohei Ohtani has taken the first tangible step toward returning to the Dodgers’ lineup.

Ohtani hit off a tee Tuesday in Los Angeles, marking his first swings since landing on the 15-day injured list with right-biceps inflammation.

The most encouraging part of the update was how he responded afterward.

“Shohei hit off the tee and felt good, too,” Dave Roberts said before Tuesday’s game against the Reds.

The Dodgers have not established a date for Ohtani’s return, but Roberts continues to expect him to appear in regular-season games before the postseason begins.

Dodgers Will Gradually Build Ohtani Back Up

Tuesday’s tee work was only the beginning of Ohtani’s hitting progression.

The Dodgers will continue increasing the intensity of his baseball activities based on how his right biceps and left knee respond. That process will likely advance from tee work to soft toss, batting practice and eventually facing live pitching.

Roberts did not provide a specific schedule for those steps.

He described Tuesday as a positive development while emphasizing that Ohtani will undergo a consistent buildup before returning to the lineup.

That distinction is important.

Ohtani feeling good after his first swings represents progress, but it does not mean he is ready to face Major League pitching immediately. The Dodgers will want to see how his body responds as the volume and intensity of his swings increase.

September 23 Is The Earliest Possible Return

Ohtani’s injured-list placement was backdated to September 8, making September 23 the earliest date he can be activated.

The Dodgers will have five regular-season games remaining at that point.

Roberts said he expects Ohtani to participate in at least some of those games, although he acknowledged that the exact number remains uncertain.

“Whether it happens or not is to be determined, but I do expect him to be back to play in some regular-season games,” Roberts said.

That would give Ohtani an opportunity to test himself against Major League pitching before the Dodgers begin postseason play.

The club has already secured a playoff berth and is on the verge of winning the NL West, allowing it to prioritize Ohtani’s health rather than rushing him back for the standings.

Dodgers Want Ohtani Ready For October

Ohtani was batting .277 with a .380 on-base percentage, a .522 slugging percentage, 30 home runs and 80 RBIs when the Dodgers placed him on the injured list.

His overall production remained strong, but the injuries had begun affecting his swing.

Ohtani went 2-for-26 without an extra-base hit over his final seven games before the IL move. Roberts acknowledged that Ohtani did not look like himself at the plate, leading the Dodgers to shut him down and give the inflammation time to improve.

The goal is not simply to get Ohtani back into the lineup as quickly as possible.

The Dodgers need him capable of taking his normal swing when the postseason begins.

Returning for several regular-season games would give Ohtani a chance to restore his timing and determine how his body responds before October. It would also allow the Dodgers to evaluate whether he requires any additional rest or workload management.

Tuesday’s swings do not establish when that return will happen, but they represent the first completed step in that direction.

Ohtani still has several stages to clear, but feeling good after his first hitting activity gives the Dodgers reason to believe he remains on track to return before the regular season ends.