With 5 weeks to go in the common season, the Dodgers know they’ll ultimately get Shohei Ohtani and Edwin Díaz back as wholesome members of their stretch-run pitching employees.

But with the playoffs nearing and the group’s roster still molding into form, the actual function each right-hander will fill stays unclear –– leaving both with something to show as they progress through their recoveries over the next several weeks.

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws reside batting apply before the sport against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (2026 Getty Images) Getty Images

Saturday was a huge day for Ohtani, who has been sidelined as a pitcher since early July because of a lingering knee harm, and Díaz, who last week went on the injured checklist for the second time this season because of what the group described as neck irritation.

Before the Dodgers’ sport against the Pirates, Díaz threw his first bullpen session since his neck challenge popped up on Monday. Ohtani, meanwhile, threw a simulated 30-pitch session of reside batting apply against Will Smith, marking the first time he has confronted hitters since his most current pitching begin on July 3.

Shohei Ohtani, Edwin Diaz test off vital packing containers

Those were vital packing containers for both pitchers to test off. They also supplied further readability on when they might be prepared to return. Manager Dave Roberts said Díaz could be activated as quickly as he’s eligible at the starting of September. Ohtani, meanwhile, will probably throw one more reside BP before rejoining the Dodgers’ rotation, at which level he will get stretched back out inning-by-inning over each outing he makes the relaxation of the yr.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz warms up before a sport against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, August 16, 2026. (This asset – including all textual content, audio and imagery – is supplied by Imagn Images. Reuters Connec) IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Everything from the coaches was really positive,” Roberts relayed when requested about Ohtani’s reside BP session. “We’re getting there. Today was a good day.”

What is not identified for now, however, is how Ohtani and Díaz will be used once the two-time defending champions start finalizing their roster for another postseason push.

On Saturday, Roberts left the door open to quite a few prospects, stopping nicely brief of guaranteeing Díaz would return to the nearer’s function or that Ohtani would make conventional, full-length begins in the playoffs.

“We still got a ways to get there,” Roberts said.

Díaz’s scenario is the easier one.

After signing a $69 million contract this offseason, the three-time Reliever of the Year Award winner has been fully ineffective in his debut season with the membership, struggling an 11.85 ERA in just 16 outings. 

Los Angeles Dodgers aid pitcher Edwin Diaz works against the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning of a baseball sport Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Denver. (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Injuries, of course, have been a important obstacle. The 32-year-old had already missed three months following a process to take away unfastened our bodies from his elbow in April. Now, he is going through at least several more weeks out because of discomfort he felt in his neck just lately.

However, this IL stint is serving a twin goal for the right-hander, as Roberts acknowledged Saturday, giving Díaz a likelihood to also work through mechanical flaws the group had recognized before his neck flared up on him.

“The sensation and feeling that he had in his neck is real,” Roberts said. “But I also do think that going through some things with the pitching guys and the body mechanics guys, and getting to let that have a chance to kind of take, I think is important.”

Last time Díaz returned from the IL, he was slotted straight back into his customary ninth-inning function.

But after changing just 7 of 11 save alternatives this yr, Díaz will now have to reestablish himself as a reliable, high-leverage choice forward of October.

According to Roberts, the group’s plan revolves around “putting him in some softer landing situations to get the confidence, to get the feel and the trust of executing pitches, getting major league hitters out, and then at that point in time we’ll go from there.”

Shohei Ohtani’s playoff utilization more advanced

Deciding on Ohtani’s utilization will be a more advanced course of for the Dodgers, thanks to both the taxing nature of the two-way star’s general workload, and the reality that — barring any unexpected setbacks — the group will have 4 other All-Star beginning pitching choices to flip to in the playoffs.

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws reside batting apply before the sport against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (2026 Getty Images) Getty Images

For now, Roberts said the group’s “goal” is to get Ohtani stretched back out for full-length begins — like he was at the begin of the season, when he went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 outings.

“But,” the skipper added, “the most important is how he’s feeling and how we get there.”

“I could sit here and say, ‘Yeah, [we want him pitching] six innings when we start the postseason,’” Roberts continued. “But he’s still got to do the work and get there. He’s got to pass some tests and markers.”

The other choice would be to handle Ohtani’s pitching workload more conservatively in October — which could be helpful for his bat — and perhaps use him as more of a glorified opener (succesful of pitching a handful of innings at the starting of video games) when the want arises. 

Ohtani appeared to acknowledge such uncertainties last week, saying in Japanese that “we have a lot of starters, and I think it’s a situation where you don’t know who will start [in the playoffs].”

Much could rely on how he pitches once he makes his return to the Dodgers’ rotation, as it would probably take at least a month for him to get totally constructed back up.

For now, these are good issues for the Dodgers to have.

It means Ohtani and Diaz are on monitor to return. That the group is assured in what they could produce despite their current harm issues. And that they have enough other choices proper now to not want to overly rely on either.

Still, they are also questions that will nonetheless want to be answered, giving Ohtani and Díaz more work to do as they close to their returns to the pitching employees.