LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani took another significant step on Saturday toward his anticipated return to pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The dual-threat athlete, a marvel in both pitching and batting, showcased his pitching prowess as he faced batters for the second time following elbow surgery. The session took place at Dodger Stadium, right before the reigning World Series champions matched up against the New York Yankees. During this outing, Ohtani delivered 29 pitches in a 25-minute practice session. Last weekend, in New York, he had thrown 22 pitches in his first live batting practice.
The atmosphere in the stadium was attentive, with all eyes fixated on Ohtani. Teammates, stadium employees, and media personnel closely followed his every move. Even a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter hovered noisily above, while young Charlie Freeman, son of Freddie Freeman, stood in the outfield with his glove at the ready. Meanwhile, Kiké Hernández casually observed from a position cross-legged behind the mound.
In a simulated setting, Ohtani pitched against seven batters from Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. Manager Dave Roberts later indicated that Ohtani handled the session well. “He’s utilizing his whole arsenal, and after today’s performance, he’s certainly progressed well beyond where he was at in spring training,” Roberts noted.
The session wasn’t without its challenges. Facing his first batter, Ohtani fielded a groundball to his left and threw it to first base, unattended at the time. Another batter managed to hit a single to right, and a few more singles followed. Dave Roberts watched the proceedings from third base, while pitching coach Mark Prior stayed nearby, ready to provide guidance during pauses. According to Roberts, Ohtani’s pitching velocity appeared to be “somewhere in the mid-90s.”
Although Ohtani wasn’t entirely satisfied with his command, Roberts declared the day a success. “I think he would wish his command to be a touch sharper,” he said, “but overall, it was a very positive day.” Looking ahead to future sessions, Ohtani could see two or even three more innings of pitching next Saturday, as he isn’t expected to participate in a major league game until post All-Star break in mid-July. “We still have to push to five or six innings, so there’s work to do,” Roberts added.
On the offensive side, Ohtani is coming off an impressive performance from Friday night’s series opener, where he hit two homers propelling the Dodgers to an 8-5 victory. This feat helped him maintain his lead in the majors with 22 home runs. “His ability to compartmentalize is extraordinary,” Roberts stated. “He’s effectively performing the roles of two players and still puts up remarkable offensive numbers.”
Ohtani is currently recovering from a major surgery in September 2023, marking the second significant procedure on his right elbow since joining the majors from Japan. He hasn’t taken the mound in a big league game since August 23, 2023, when he was still with the Los Angeles Angels.
Throughout his big league career, Ohtani has achieved a record of 38-19, maintaining a 3.01 ERA and accumulating 608 strikeouts across 481 2/3 innings over five seasons. Following a Tommy John surgery on October 1, 2018, Ohtani made his return to the major leagues on July 26, 2020, though the pandemic-shortened season limited him to just a couple of starts.
Ohtani chose not to address the media following his session, leaving the details of his throwing performance to be captured by those present.