PHILADELPHIA — Shohei Ohtani took a significant step in his recovery as he pitched a 26-pitch bullpen session on Saturday just before the Los Angeles Dodgers faced the Philadelphia Phillies. This marks an important phase in his journey back to the mound following surgery on his right elbow, which occurred on September 19, 2023. This session was the second since he commenced his pitching recovery routine. Ohtani initially had to pause his pitching efforts on February 25 to concentrate on his role as a hitter for opening day, before throwing a bullpen session on March 29.
In Saturday’s session, Ohtani included splitters as part of his pitching. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained the schedule, saying, “It’s a week, but then there’s also the one in between, where he touches the mound on a Thursday.” Roberts elaborated on the need to maintain a consistent seven-day program for Ohtani, which would resemble the schedule once he is fully back, building up from there.
When Ohtani is ready to pitch in games again, the Dodgers are planning to implement a six-man rotation to accommodate him. Ohtani, a three-time MVP and four-time All-Star, has an impressive record as a pitcher with 38 wins against 19 losses, a 3.01 ERA, and 608 strikeouts over 481 2/3 innings.