Shohei Ohtani, on his 31st birthday, is ready to celebrate with his team against the Houston Astros. The Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher is prepared for two innings on the mound against MLB’s elite club. This has been confirmed by manager Dave Roberts and posted by Los Angeles Times beat writer Jack Harris on their X/Twitter.

“Dave Roberts said the plan is to have Shohei Ohtani pitch two innings again tomorrow.”

This will be Shohei Ohtani’s fourth appearance this season, with a powerful yet steady return from his risky second Tommy John surgery. While considering his last match performance, he will be slated to throw two innings and start as the “opener.” Dodgers Nation quoted Dave Roberts on the matter, saying:

“I think we’re always gonna be cautious,” he continued. “So I don’t even know what that’s going to look like, to be ‘fully built-up.’ I don’t think anyone knows what that looks like. Because it’s not a normal starting pitcher. So to say six (innings) and 90 (pitches), I don’t even know if we’ll get to that point.”

The Dodgers are handling Ohtani with extra care because of his unmatched two-way value and history. While he has returned to the mound, he has not pitched more than two innings in a single game, and in total, he has pitched 35 innings until now.

All eyes on Shohei Ohtani during Saturday’s game

In the game last Saturday, June 28, against Kansas City, Shohei Ohtani threw two scoreless innings while using 27 pitches. He has registered a 2.25 ERA and allowed a single run in a total of four innings.

For his upcoming game, Dodger Stadium will prepare for an elite matchup; the game will be broadcast on FOX at 4:15 pm PT.

All eyes will be on the birthday boy, whether he celebrates with the team at the stadium or with family. The atmosphere of the match will be electrifying. Even for two innings, the fans will roar back at Ohtani and give him an unforgettable night.