Shohei Ohtani begins swinging a bat, Dodgers remain hopeful for 2026 return

Shohei Ohtani has taken his first steps to returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup.

Though he's not currently with the team for their three-game series in Cincinnati, Ohtani began his hitting progression in LA and "felt good" after hitting off a tee, manager Dave Roberts told reporters before the Dodgers played the Reds on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

"I don't know what's in store for tomorrow, but I know there's gonna be a consistent build up," Roberts told reporters. "Don't know when the time of return to play is, but today was positive. Hopefully we can keep building towards that."

It was the first time Ohtani swung a bat since landing on the 15-day injured list after nagging injuries in his left knee and right bicep have led to a prolonged slump at the plate for the back-to-back National League MVP. He's already ruled out the possibility of returning to the mound as a pitcher this season, opting instead to focus solely on being a hitter for the rest of 2026.

The soonest Ohtani could see a return to action would be the final series of the regular season against the San Francisco Giants starting on Sept. 25, and though…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/