Shohei Ohtani was back on the mound Tuesday as he ramps up his return to pitching in an actual MLB game.
By most accounts he looked pretty good.
Ohtani pitched three simulated innings against live minor league batters at Petco Park on Tuesday afternoon prior to the NL West tilt between his Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres.
Per MLB.com and The Athletic, Ohtani threw 44 pitches. Per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, Ohtani allowed one hit and one walk and threw a wild pitch. He recorded six of his nine outs via strikeout.
Here’s video of a swinging strike to record the final out of his session:
Again, the effort was against minor league batters during batting practice. But it’s another encouraging sign for the Dodgers and their fans eager to see the two-way superstar pitch in Dodger blue for the first time.
Tuesday’s simulated innings were Ohtani’s first on the mound since a May 31 session that went two innings. It was his third time overall throwing a live batting practice session and the first time he’s exceeded two innings.
Ohtani’s pitching work was previously limited to bullpen sessions that didn’t involve batters.
So when will Ohtani actually pitch?
There were no immediate updates from the Dodgers after Ohtani’s session Tuesday. Roberts previously said after Ohtani’s May 31 session that he’ll need to reach “five or six” simulated innings before the Dodgers consider putting him into an actual game.
Shohei Ohtani continues to progress on the mound, but a return timeline to pitching in an actual game remains unclear. (AP Photo/Joe Puetz)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“[He] used his entire mix, take some hitters up, down and came out of it well, which is most important,” Roberts said on May 31. “I think he wishes his command would have been a little bit better. But a really positive day for Shohei.
“You still got to get to five or six innings, so we still got a ways to go. … I didn’t ask what the velocity was, I would think a safe guess is somewhere in the mid 90s.”
Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a game since Aug. 23, 2023, when he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels. He underwent surgery a month later for the second time to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018.
Ohtani signed with the Dodgers the following offseason and earned his third MVP after a historic 50-50 season at the plate. The Dodgers went on to a World Series championship, Ohtani’s first.
Ohtani’s off to another sensational start at the plate that includes an NL-best 23 home runs through Monday. But his return to the mound is still unclear as his absence approaches the two-year mark.
A 40-27 Dodgers team leading a tight race in the NL West could certainly use the pitching services of Ohtani, who’s at an All-Star level at his best. But don’t expect them to throw caution to the wind.
They won’t put Ohtani on the mound until they and their medical staff are fully convinced that he’s ready. In the meantime, the Dodgers and their fans can take solace in Ohtani’s quest for a fourth MVP at the plate.
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