Shohei Ohtani will return to two-way status on Monday night as he makes his long-awaited pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The pregame narrative: Ohtani hasn’t pitched in an MLB game since August 2023, back when he was still playing for the Angels. He is expected to throw as an opener tonight, working no more than a couple of innings while also taking his swings at the plate.
Check out these Shohei Ohtani props for the June 16 matchup against the San Diego Padres.
Shohei Ohtani props vs. Padres
| Ohtani markets | Betting odds |
| Over 0.5 hits | -230 |
| Under 0.5 hits | +170 |
| Over 0.5 runs | -159 |
| Under 0.5 runs | +117 |
| Over 0.5 RBI | +112 |
| Under 0.5 RBI | -150 |
| Over 1.5 total bases | -120 |
| Under 1.5 total bases | -117 |
| To hit a double | +370 |
| To hit a home run | +205 |
| To hit 2+ home runs | +1,600 |
Note: There are no Ohtani pitching props available as of 12:30 p.m. ET. We’ll update this story if anything is posted.
Best Ohtani prop bet
Best Bet: Over 1.5 total bases (-120)
As fun as it would be to target a pitching prop for Ohtani tonight, his limited workload puts a damper on things.
But he’ll still have a bat in his hands, too, which is pretty much always bad news for the opposition.
Ohtani leads the National League in each of these offensive categories:
- OPS (1.034)
- SLG (.642)
- Total bases (179)
- Home runs (25)
- Runs (73)
Keep in mind that his xSLG (.685) is 43 points north of his NL-leading mark.
He also ranks in the 100th percentile in hard-hit rate (62.4%) and average exit velocity (95.5 mph), per Baseball Savant.
Tonight, Ohtani will face Dylan Cease for the second time in a week. Cease dominated the Dodgers on June 10, tossing 7.0 scoreless innings while striking out 11.
But a second look at Cease in such short order should be helpful for Ohtani.
Besides, he already has strong numbers in this matchup: 7-for-22 (.318), three home runs, one double, .773 SLG.
The two-time reigning MVP is averaging 2.6 total bases per game this year. This is a perfectly reasonable price to back him, even with a talented pitcher on the other side.
I also don’t think there’s much risk of fatigue or general distraction with the fact that Ohtani is starting on the mound.
For one thing, he’s used to playing the two-way role, and even told reporters recently (via translator) that this is “the norm” for him. Also, he’s only expected to pitch for an inning or two on Monday.
Key stat: Ohtani has a 1.071 OPS in his past 20 games, going 13-7 vs. this prop.
Shohei Ohtani prop odds as of 12:08 p.m. ET on 06/16/2025.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.