Dodgers' shocking Shohei Ohtani pitching update just ruined the lives of every Padres fan

The Dodgers have been wishy-washy on Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound over the last few weeks. Early estimates put it after the All-Star break, but Dave Roberts — a huge fan of teasing fans with unhelpful updates — said last week that the chances of him coming back before that were "north of zero." Just this weekend, Bob Nightengale insisted that Ohtani wasn't going to pitch before the break, while Dodgers insiders contradicted that sentiment just hours later.

The team made the official announcement on Sunday night, a historic one for baseball by all accounts. Ohtani will make his long-awaited return to the mound for the first time since Aug. 23, 2023, and for the first time as a Los Angeles Dodger.

Ohtani has been progressing from a torn UCL and subsequent surgery undergone on Sept. 19, 2023 and has been rehabbing between regular duties as the Dodgers' DH. The Dodgers had no reason to rush him, even with the unbelievable amount of pitching injuries their staff has suffered this year, but they were clearly reassured enough with his performances during bullpens and live sim games to return him to full two-way status way ahead of schedule.

Dodgers announce Shohei Ohtani will make his team pitching debut vs. Padres on Monday

The Dodgers pulled out a series win over the Giants on Sunday night — the same night news broke of a momentous trade between the Giants and Red Sox for star slugger Rafael Devers — to maintain their hold atop the NL West and put two games between them in the division.

However, the Dodgers still have a battle to fight. They'll see the Padres again for the second series in 10 days, this time at Dodger Stadium for a four-game set. Ohtani returning to face San Diego certainly feeds into the narrative that the Dodgers-Padres rivalry has become the far more heated and relevant to both teams, despite some Dodgers' players disagreement.

Ohtani is lined up to start against Padres ace Dylan Cease, who blanked the Dodgers over seven innings his very last time out.

Despite Ohtani's history of dominance on the mound, his return — after a major surgery, after so long without pitching competitively, and without a real rehab assignment — is a wild card. He could be the saving grace the Dodgers need after losing Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, and Tony Gonsolin, but there are also very real reasons to worry. Either way, it's going to be can't-miss TV.