PHOENIX — Despite not having thrown a single pitch since August 2023 due to a second major elbow ligament reconstruction, Shohei Ohtani already is qualified for two-way player status, a league official told The Athletic.

Ohtani says he will throw his first traditional bullpen session this weekend, at which point he will begin the process of preparing to join the Dodgers’ rotation, likely in May.

The Dodgers are hopeful that the real challenge for Shohei Ohtani this year won’t be about his health, but rather his process of re-acclimating to the two-way role that made him a superstar.