Ohtani to return to mound vs. Padres on Monday

Shohei Ohtani will make his long-awaited return to pitching Monday night in a matchup against the division-rival San Diego Padres, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced.

Ohtani, 21 months removed from a second repair of his ulnar collateral ligament, will be used as an opener, likely throwing one inning. Because of his two-way designation, Ohtani qualifies as an extra pitcher on the roster, giving the Dodgers the flexibility to use a piggyback starter behind him.

That is essentially what will occur in his first handful of starts -- a byproduct of Ohtani's progress in the late stages of his pitching rehab.

Ohtani, 30, initially seemed to be progressing toward a return around August. But he made a major step during his third simulated game at San Diego's Petco Park on Tuesday, throwing 44 pitches over three simulated innings and compiling six strikeouts against a couple of low-level minor leaguers.

Afterward, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it was a "north of zero" chance Ohtani could return before the All-Star break. When he met with reporters before Sunday's game against the San Francisco Giants -- an eventual 5-4 victory -- Roberts said it was a "possibility" Ohtani could pitch after just one more simulated game.

After the game, Roberts indicated the timeline might have been pushed even further, telling reporters it was a "high possibility" that Ohtani would pitch in a big league game this week as an opener, likely during the upcoming four-game series against the Padres.

"He's ready to pitch in a big league game," Roberts told reporters. "He let us know."