Shohei Ohtani checked off another step Saturday as he works toward making his pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The two-way superstar faced hitters for the second time since elbow surgery, throwing 29 pitches at Dodger Stadium in a 25-minute session before the defending World Series champions played the New York Yankees. Ohtani threw 22 pitches in his first live batting practice last weekend in New York.
The stadium music was turned off and everyone from teammates to workers to the media watched Ohtani. A Los Angeles Police Department helicopter flew noisily overhead. Freddie Freeman’s 8-year-old son, Charlie, stood in the outfield holding his glove. Kike Hernandez sat cross-legged behind the mound.
Ohtani threw to seven batters from Single-A Rancho Cucamonga in a simulated setting. He came out of it well, according to manager Dave Roberts.
“He’s just using his entire arsenal, also with today doing the up-down, he’s certainly well beyond where he was in spring (training),” Roberts said.
Against his first batter, Ohtani fielded a grounder to the left of the mound and made a throw to first where no one was. The second hitter laced a single to right. He gave up a few more singles.
Roberts looked on from third base and pitching coach Mark Prior stood behind the mound. Ohtani paused at times to talk to Prior. Roberts guessed the right-hander’s velocity was “somewhere in the mid-90s.”
“I think he would wishes his command would have been a little bit better, but really positive day for sure,” Roberts said.
Roberts said Ohtani could throw another two or possibly three innings next Saturday. The three-time MVP isn’t expected to pitch in a major league game until after the All-Star break in mid-July.
“You still got to get to five or six innings, so we still got a ways to go,” Roberts said.
Ohtani was coming off a two-homer performance in the Dodgers’ 8-5 series-opening win Friday night. He leads the majors with 22 homers.
“I think the thing that’s most impressive is his ability to compartmentalize,” Roberts said. “He’s essentially doing the work of two players and still to go out there and perform on the offensive side is pretty remarkable.”
Ohtani is recovering from surgery in September 2023, the second major operation on his right elbow since he arrived in the majors from Japan. He hasn’t pitched in a big league game since Aug. 23, 2023, for the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani is 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings during five seasons as an MLB pitcher. He had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Oct. 1, 2018, and returned to a major league mound on July 26, 2020, though he was limited to just two starts during the pandemic-shortened season.
He didn’t speak with the media after his session.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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