The Los Angeles Dodgers are already shuffling their rotation in anticipation of MVP Shohei Ohtani’s return. As a result, the Dodgers are moving Eric Lauer to the bullpen. Although his exact return date has not been officially announced, it could be sooner rather than later. And an MLB analyst has now predicted the next steps in Ohtani’s recovery.

“Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that if it were up to Shohei, he’d be back the next time he were out on the mound in a major league game. But there’s still a rehab process to go through,” Buster Olney observed on SportsCenter.

The two-way Japanese phenomenon had been limited to his designated hitter role since July 3. The Dodgers have shut him down from pitching due to left knee inflammation and a right biceps issue. At the time of his last start, Ohtani held an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA across 14 starts. The Dodgers have been missing a key rotation piece for the past month. However, Ohtani is closer than ever to his return. According to manager Dave Roberts, that could come as early as next week if Ohtani feels okay.

“I think it’s more about how the ‘pen goes and, to be quite honest, how Shohei feels,” Roberts said on Sunday, per the NY Post. “If he feels like he can take on a game and throw an inning, great.”

On Saturday, Ohtani threw 30 pitches during live batting practice at Dodger Stadium. It marked the first time he faced hitters since his start against the San Diego Padres in July.

Though Ohtani would like to be back on the mound sooner rather than later, he still has to go through rehab, as Olney pointed out. Ohtani’s next stop will be in Atlanta, where he will throw another live BP. Then, the player and the team will finalize their next steps. However, according to Olney, the first week of September is the likely target. The Dodgers begin a homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals on September 1.

“Ohtani, in the week ahead, will probably throw another simulated game. Then, sometime in the first week of September, he’ll be back on a major league mound in a game. Then, going forward, he’ll be building his pitch count,” Buster Olney predicted.

Dave Roberts has also revealed that they would be building up Ohtani’s innings much quicker this time. When Ohtani returned to the rotation last year, after his Tommy John surgery, the Dodgers increased his inning count one at a time. He threw two one-inning starts, two two-inning starts, three three-inning starts, and as such. They increased the inning count until he reached six frames in 14 outings. But Ohtani is not starting on a clean slate this time. He has already recorded 14 starts this season.

Ohtani’s return is a major boost for the Dodgers’ rotation. Though they acquired Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers, he alone could not fill the gap that Ohtani, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow left behind. Justin Wrobleski emerged as one of the key pieces. But he too has landed on the IL with left forearm inflammation. The Dodgers needed a rotation boost at number 4, and not many can be better than Ohtani.