Shohei Ohtani will return to the mound as the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday in the opener of a four-game series against the visiting San Diego Padres, the team announced on Sunday night.

This will mark Ohtani's first big league pitching appearance since Aug. 23, 2023, and his first with the Dodgers. The two-way star had Tommy John surgery in September 2023, three months before signing a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.

Ohtani was ramping up toward a return to the mound in June. On Tuesday, the right-hander threw 44 pitches over three simulated innings against minor leaguers from the Dodgers' Arizona spring complex.