Shohei Ohtani completed two innings in his third start for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season during Saturday’s game against the Kansas City Royals.
Ohtani got through the first inning in 14 pitches, eight of which were fastballs, including one that was clocked at 101.7 mph — the hardest of his career — that got Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino to hit into an inning-ending double play.
In a curious coincidence, both of Ohtani’s 101.7 mph pitches were thrown against Pasquantino. The first came in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
The second frame saw a much more efficient Ohtani on the mound. He faced only three batters and threw 13 pitches — 12 of which were strikes — and kept the Royals off the bases.
Ohtani was replaced in the third inning and finished with 27 pitches, 20 for strikes, one hit allowed, one walk and one strikeout. Jac Caglianone was the lone Royal to strikeout on a nasty slider.
Ohtani also broke 100 mph three times.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game that the plan was to pitch Ohtani into the second inning as long as the opening inning wasn’t too “stressful.”
Ohtani’s first two starts on the mound this season were each for one inning. During a 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres on June 16, he allowed two hits and one earned run. Six days later, he didn’t allow a run and struck out two batters against the Washington Nationals.
Prior to this month, Ohtani had not pitched since undergoing elbow surgery in September 2023. His recovery timetable was pushed back after he suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder during the 2024 World Series and required surgery to repair that injury.
This week, Ohtani, along with New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, were confirmed as starters in next month’s All-Star Game in Atlanta after being the top vote-getters in each league following the first round of voting. Ohtani will start at DH for the NL after earning 3,967,668 votes.
However, he will not participate in the Home Run Derby despite leading the National League with 29 homers.
“With the current rules in place, I don’t think it’s feasible for me to be able to compete well,” Ohtani said through translator Will Ireton.
Dodgers teammate Teoscar Hernández announced yesterday that he won’t take part in the event either, which he won last year.
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