Just a day after his historic walk-off grand slam, Shohei Ohtani returned to the mound.
Ohtani took to the bullpen at Dodger Stadium on Saturday afternoon, throwing just 10 pitches ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ game against the Tampa Bay Rays. This brief session marked Ohtani’s first time pitching since undergoing elbow surgery last fall.
Following surgery to repair a torn UCL in his pitching elbow in September 2023, Ohtani is not expected to pitch again until next season. In his last season on the mound in 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani posted a 10-5 record in 23 starts with a 3.14 ERA over 132 innings pitched. Despite his recovery, Ohtani signed a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers in December and has been focusing on his hitting while preparing for his return to pitching next season.
Ohtani’s hitting performance this season has been outstanding, making him a strong candidate for the National League MVP award. On Friday night, Ohtani became the fastest player in MLB history to achieve the 40-40 club milestone after hitting a walk-off grand slam against the Rays at Dodger Stadium. He is only the sixth player in league history to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season, accomplishing this feat more than three weeks ahead of any other player. Currently batting .292 with a .992 OPS, Ohtani ranks second in home runs this season, trailing only Aaron Judge, and is second in stolen bases, behind Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds.
During Saturday night’s game, Ohtani hit his 41st home run of the season in the fifth inning, giving the Dodgers a sudden lead. The 338-foot home run was notably the shortest of his career.
With a five-game winning streak and a 77-52 record, the Dodgers entered Saturday’s game against the Rays leading the NL West by 3.5 games.
While it may be some time before Ohtani returns to pitching and the extent of any restrictions remains unknown, his bullpen session on Saturday signifies another significant step in his recovery process.