The great return of Shohei Ohtani has been going well. Although the Japanese player has not yet fully returned or is 100%, he has already been active and has given hope to Dodgers fans. Since Ohtani joined the club, the excitement has been palpable, not only for his formidable hitting, but also for the long-awaited return of his pitching abilities. After surgery that kept him off the mound for a while, every time he takes the mound is a major event.
Currently, it has not been confirmed when Ohtani’s next start as a pitcher will be. In addition, the length of his future appearances on the mound remains a mystery, as the team has handled his return with extreme caution to ensure a full and sustainable recovery. However, whenever Ohtani takes the ball, whether for an inning or more, it serves as a positive indicator.
In his last appearance, Ohtani left a good impression. Against the Washington Nationals, the Japanese pitcher threw 18 pitches (including 12 strikes) without allowing any runs or hits. Catcher Dalton Rushing caught for Ohtani and even had some words for him in the postgame interview with SportsNetLA. “He looked good. Everything was obviously explosive,” Rushing said. “The velocity was good. Throwing breaking balls, sweepers in the zone allowed us to get ahead and get hitters out.”
Dodgers take care of Ohtani
The Dodgers are taking a series of safeguards and very cautious measures with Shohei Ohtani, especially in his return to the mound after his surgery. Among the precautions, the most notable are the limitation of innings and pitches, where the Japanese player’s appearances are very regularized.
On the other hand, the workload in training has also been slower, waiting for the player to be able to go more calmly and despite the desire of fans to see him at 100%, it is important to wait to avoid a relapse into more injuries.
A constant battle against injuries
Shohei Ohtani is one of the best players in MLB, but unfortunately he has had a very bad time with injuries. The first of these came in 2018 when he had to undergo “Tommy John” surgery. The Japanese at that time tore his right elbow and had to undergo surgery and be out for the entire 2019 season.
During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Ohtani experienced a flexor strain in his elbow, which significantly limited his appearances as a pitcher. Although it was a less severe injury than the UCL tear, it kept him largely as a designated hitter for the remainder of that season.
The most recent injury was a torn ulnar collateral ligament in 2023. This is the injury that led him to undergo a second major surgery on his right elbow in September 2023 and which still troubles him to this day.
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