A timeline for Shohei Ohtani's long-awaited return to the mound is beginning to take shape. Ohtani is likely to resume pitching in Major League games sometime in May, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday at DodgerFest.

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers in May is “about right,” manager Dave Roberts said Saturday at the team’s annual fan fest. He reiterated that Ohtani won’t pitch in the season-opening Japan Series against the Chicago Cubs on March 18-19 in Tokyo.

Ohtani, who signed a $700 million contract with the Dodgers in the 2023-24 offseason, didn't pitch in his first year with the club after having elbow surgery in September 2023. But he became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 home runs with 50 stolen bases, winning his third career MVP award.