Shohei Ohtani Will Make Spring Training Pitching Debut Against Giants
· Yahoo Sports
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will be making his Spring Training debut on Wednesday, March 18th, as a pitcher, according to Dave Roberts.
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Ohtani returned to Dodgers camp on Monday after Japan lost to Venezuela in the WBC Quarterfinal on Saturday.
While he was away with Team Japan, Ohtani managed to get some pitching work done, per pitching coach Mark Prior, but he did not make a full-fledged appearance.
The Dodgers requested that Ohtani not pitch, and the Japanese two-way player agreed, as he is aiming for the Cy Young Award.
Feb 18, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers Pitcher/Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) on the mound during Los Angeles Dodgers workouts at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn ImagesOhtani will be throwing 3-4 innings against the San Francisco Giants, according to Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register.
He will not be hitting during his start, but rather taking up the bat in Friday’s Spring Training Game. Additionally, he is scheduled to pitch in the spring Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Angels.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be on the mound for Friday’s spring game, who has returned with Ohtani after Japan’s loss.
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Shohei Ohtani’s pitching preparation
Ohtani has been working throughout his time in camp and with Japan on pitching once again. He left Arizona with a plan built by the pitching staff, and Prior seems quite happy with where he is.
“Obviously, he’s not in real spring training, Cactus League games,” Prior said.
“But he is getting the volume and the workload and I think the intensity, the most he can get out of it, is showing up in the velocity. He’s in the mid-90s.
“Everything is tracking from where he left. So I think from that standpoint, we’ve probably got the best possible outcome for what he’s trying to accomplish in the midst of this tournament.”
Ohtani had his translator Will Ireton, with him during the WBC, who was a strategic advisor for Japan.
Ireton has a player development and coaching background, along with strong analytical skills, which surely helped him properly track Ohtani’s progress.
On Tuesday, a day before his scheduled start, Ohtani was spotted doing light pitching.
Here is Shohei Ohtani. pic.twitter.com/PGJCThY9F5
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 17, 2026
Dodgers fans should be excited to see the baseball unicorn take the mound and get ready for a run at the Cy Young award.