Shohei Ohtani continues to keep his teammates and all Dodgers fans on alert after his injury. The player had to undergo surgery on his left elbow and since then he has progressed with a recovery that seems to be going faster than expected, as his training is beginning to excite fans with his return.
The illusion of seeing Ohtani as a pitcher again was further ignited when he was seen in batting sessions at Petco Park, where he had three simulated innings and threw 44 pitches. In this way, the Dodgers player would be preparing to return sooner than estimated.
Ohtani has shown great progress and with this the Dodgers believe he can return before mid-season. Dave Roberts, who in a press conference expressed his desire for Ohtani to return as soon as possible. “It’s tempting. I’m sure Shohei is tempted to rip the band-aid off and get into a game, but I think we’re doing a good job of trying to be patient,” he said
“I still trust that he, Dr. Neal and the medical staff will be the ones to guide this process. I’m looking forward to the next session,” added Roberts, who believes the situation is favourable and that they could soon have even more news regarding Ohtani’s medical condition.
Ohtani’s last time
August 2023 was the last time Shohei Ohtani pitched in Major League Baseball, then he had to undergo surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, since then he has had to work on his recovery and although it has not been easy and the Dodgers need him, the outlook seems to be favorable and without rushing things, he could return soon.
Regarding the player’s situation, pitching coach Mark Prior also spoke to the media, explaining Ohtani’s progress. “When you start getting into the 44 pitches, then 60 or 70, you can start to imagine him in a real game, because you know he has the volume to cover multiple innings,” he said
Injuries won’t leave Ohtani alone
Shohei Ohtani’s big problem in recent years has been injuries. The 30-year-old Japanese has suffered several injuries and despite being one of the great figures of his team, he has had to be absent quite a bit.
Ohtani has been plagued by injuries since 2018, when he had to undergo Tommy John surgery, then in 2019 knee surgery, in 2020 forearm strain and in 2023 the elbow injury. Many physical problems for a player who despite everything continues to show improvement in his training and excites the Dodgers with a return.
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