Andrew Friedman's latest Shohei Ohtani injury update will impact Dodgers bullpen

Shohei Ohtani is throwing at the Dodgers' spring training complex in Glendale, but fans shouldn't expect to see him back on the mound, in real competition until May. He's still recovering after an elbow surgery to repair at UCL tear from back in 2023, and the Dodgers have made it clear that they're not going to rush him.

Ohtani definitely wants to get back on the mound, if Dave Roberts' comments on his timeline were any indication (he suggested it would take some persuading to get Ohtani to wait until May), but the Dodgers can't risk breaking their $700 million superstar.

The question has been how the rotation will look in his absence. The Dodgers have enough starters to go for a six-man rotation from the outset, but Andrew Friedman told reporters on Friday morning that he "expected" the team actually use a traditional five-man rotation until Ohtani returns.

With Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki all locks, that actually creates an interesting position battle for fans to watch out for in spring training between Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May (and maybe even a few others) for that last spot.

Dodgers plan to use a five-man rotation until Shohei Ohtani returns in May

Gonsolin and May are both also coming off of major surgeries, and May is infamously unable to stay healthy, so if we had to guess, Gonsolin would get that last rotation spot and May would go to the bullpen so they could limit his workload. However, Landon Knack could also be an option. Although he didn't really make a lasting impression in 2024, he at least won't be coming back from an injury like Gonsolin and May, and the Dodgers won't have to be as cautious when managing his innings.

A five-man rotation also means an eight-man bullpen. Alex Vesia, Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, Blake Treinen are all locks, but Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips Brusdar Graterol are likely to start the season on the IL (Graterol definitely will, Kopech and Phillips might). Assuming Gonsolin makes the rotation, May and Knack could get thrown to the bullpen to put the Dodgers at six, and Anthony Banda and Ben Casparius could join them.

However, a few spring non-roster invitees also have a shot to make an impression. Jack Dreyer, who the Dodgers protected from the Rule 5 draft in December, will be at camp, along with a few minor league signings looking to make a comeback.

A five-man rotation does provide a little more clarity about what the Opening Day roster will look like in just a little over a month. It'll get a more complicated when Ohtani returns, but the Dodgers don't have to worry about that for now.