Dodgers report key progress: Ohtani bullpen and Smith, Rushing return to field work

Los Angeles took an encouraging step forward on Thursday night as the Dodgers’ rehab group made visible progress ahead of Friday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. In the team’s latest injury update, two-way star Shohei Ohtani threw in what was described as his first bullpen session since restarting his throwing program, a notable checkpoint for a pitcher who needs consistent, repeatable work to return to regular mound action.

Ohtani’s bullpen session was paired with a second wave of progress from the Dodgers’ catching group. Will Smith and Dalton Rushing, both listed as rehabbing, took batting practice on the field. According to the update, it marked the first on-field batting practice for each catcher since they went on the injured list, indicating that their hitting and timing progression is moving toward game-ready work.

For a Dodgers team that routinely leans on its top positions to stabilize the run-prevention and run-production sides of the game, the return of Smith and Rushing to full field activity matters even before anyone is officially back in the starting lineup. Catchers are judged on details that often show up only when they are fully integrated, including the rhythm of receiving, the sequencing of pitch calling, and the ability to rebound quickly from each at-bat. Batting practice on the field is an early marker that a player is rebuilding that day-to-day coordination.

Ohtani’s throwing milestone carries its own weight. Bullpen sessions are not the same as facing live hitters in a game, but the order of operations is familiar, and the Dodgers’ note that this was his first bullpen session since restarting his throwing program suggests the team has moved past an initial adjustment phase. If his progression continues on schedule, it would put him in position to advance from controlled bullpen work toward the more hitter-exposed stages that typically follow.

Thursday’s update also underscores how the Dodgers are managing more than one rehabilitation timeline at once. While pitchers and position players can be behind or ahead of each other for reasons related to their specific rehabs, teams generally want their best roster pieces to rejoin at a pace that keeps the lineup and bullpen from becoming overextended. With Smith and Rushing both back on the field for batting practice, Los Angeles appears focused on compressing the time between rehab work and usable, repeatable game preparation.

Friday night against the Brewers becomes the immediate test of what “progress” looks like in game planning. The update from MLB indicates the Dodgers’ rehabbing players took those steps ahead of the matchup, but it does not say that any of them are guaranteed to return to action for the opener. What to watch next is whether the team’s subsequent updates describe advancing intensity, adding more live-facing work, or moving from batting practice to in-game roles.

In the near term, these reports shape how the Dodgers likely approach lineup flexibility and defensive stability. Even if Smith or Rushing are not yet ready to play, the ability to conduct on-field batting practice suggests the catching group’s development is not stalled. And if Ohtani’s bullpen session is followed by more substantial pitching work, his progression could become a central storyline for how quickly the Dodgers can add a two-way impact presence back to both sides of their game.