Ohtani Returns to Mound as Dodgers Face Twins
Shohei Ohtani is set to continue his measured return to the mound on Monday when the Los Angeles Dodgers open a three-game home series against the Minnesota Twins.
The Dodgers are eager to reset after being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers for the second time in under two weeks, extending their skid to 10 losses in the past 12 games. One of the few bright spots during that stretch came from Ohtani himself — in a start at San Francisco just ahead of the All-Star break.
Ohtani also made noise at the plate Sunday with a two-run homer in a 6–5 loss to Milwaukee. The defeat marked Los Angeles’ sixth straight at home, their longest such streak since 2017.
“He’s doing everything we need from him,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts following the game.
Ohtani (0–0, 1.00 ERA) is expected to pitch three innings Monday. It will be his sixth start since undergoing a Tommy John revision procedure in 2023. According to Roberts, “The goal is to go three innings and then we’ve got Dustin May to take down as much of the game as we need behind him.”
Ohtani has had success against the Twins in the past, with a 1–0 record and a 2.08 ERA across three career starts, striking out 27 batters in just over 17 innings. At the plate, he’s been similarly effective, hitting .301 with six home runs and 14 RBIs over 24 games against Minnesota.
Roberts made a lineup change Sunday, moving the slumping Mookie Betts to the leadoff spot and placing Ohtani second. Betts, batting just .195 over his last 21 games and .107 in the past seven, contributed a single ahead of Ohtani’s home run.
“I’m a team guy. I want the boys to play well,” Betts said. “I want us to win. If I’m not performing, there’s no reason I should be on the field to play.”
The Twins will send right-hander David Festa (3–3, 5.25 ERA) to the mound. This will be his first career start against the Dodgers. Festa last pitched on July 9, earning a win over the Cubs with 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball. After a rocky start to his season, he has now won two of his past three starts.
“I think it’s cool to face some of the better guys in the game, but at the end of the day, all these guys are good,” Festa said ahead of Sunday’s game in Colorado. “You kind of have to handle it the same way, but it will be cool to go up against (Ohtani) and, obviously, a great team like the Dodgers.”
The Twins enter the series on a high note after salvaging a win in Colorado with a 7–1 victory. Royce Lewis led the way with his first multi-homer game, while Matt Walner and Harrison Bader also went deep. A Southern California native, Lewis returns to familiar territory for the Dodger Stadium matchup.
