By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer

SAN ANTONIO — The Dodgers aren’t counting on Shohei Ohtani to pitch early next season and will wait to see how his rehabilitation progresses following shoulder surgery on his non-pitching arm.

Ohtani underwent surgery on Tuesday repair a torn labrum in your left shoulderan injury suffered while slipping during a stolen base attempt in Game 2 of the World Series on October 26. The two-way star has not pitched this year while recovering from elbow surgery on September 19, 2023.

“We’re going to take it step by step and get through it and then take it in one or two week increments and make sure we’re in a really good position on each of those criteria and then go from there and don’t try to say “Hey, we’ve got to be ready by today,'” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said at the annual general managers’ meeting Wednesday. “We’re going to let the rehab process play out.”

The Dodgers will open their season overseas again, with two highly anticipated games against the Chicago Cubs in Japan, but that almost certainly means Ohtani is unlikely to play in those games.

After signing a record $700 million, 10-year contract, Ohtani, 30, hit .310 with 54 home runs, 130 RBIs and 59 stolen bases, becoming the first player with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season.

“I think it’s prudent that he doesn’t steal 50 bases next year,” Gomes said. “I have a hunch. I don’t want to take this into account, because I never bet against Shohei.

Gomes said left-hander Clayton Kershaw had surgery Wednesday, but he couldn’t go into details. because the three-time Cy Young Award winner was a free agent.

He also said that All-Star Mookie Betts would likely return to the field next year and that the World Series champions would like to reach a new contract with manager Dave Roberts, whose current deal runs through next season .

Ohtani was operated on by the team’s head physician, Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

“The rehabilitation stages involve different exercises of lower intensity and can simply consist of movement,” Gomes said. “Our coaches, performance coaches and doctors are all in tune with this and we will be with him every step of the way.”

Ohtani stopped his throwing program.

“He probably would have stopped throwing anyway in the offseason, but he has to get over it and then start it again,” Gomes said.

The Dodgers expect right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Tyler Glasnow to be ready for Opening Day. Yamamoto was sidelined with a right triceps strain between June 15 and September 10. Glasnow did not pitch after August 11 due to right elbow tendonitisGonsolin spent all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery and May did not pitch this year following elbow and esophagus operations.

Paris spent the first 72 games of the 2024 season at shortstop after splitting time between second base and right field the previous season. He broke his left hand on June 16 when he was hit by a pitch, and with the team needing production in the field, he moved back to right when he returned on August 12. His return to the infield is the result of an attempt to protect his body and the desire of the 32-year-old, eight-time All-Star.

“It’s not set in stone, but I think it’s just the toll of the outfield and I think it’s really tough for guys to bounce back and forth,” Gomes said. “It could be second, it could be short. We don’t really know yet. We will have these more in-depth conversations soon and get clarification on this. The beauty of Mookie is that he is the most selfless superstar we have ever known.

The Dodgers could re-sign free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, who spent 2024 as a left fielder but is a natural right fielder, just not a six-time Gold Glove winner like Betts.