On the floor, it could have been only a bullpen session at the beginning of spring coaching.
Nonetheless, watching Shohei Ohtani take the mound following Tommy John surgical procedure and understanding he’s certainly near returning there full-time offered a much-needed increase of confidence for Los Angeles Dodgers followers on Saturday.
Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani threw 14 pitches (all fastballs) and logged velocities of 92 to 94 mph. Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior described Ohtani’s session as “dipping his toe again within the water,” and Roberts thought the results of Ohtani’s bullpen were “great.”
Whereas it could have been a short-lived bullpen session, seeing Ohtani throw was a welcome step alongside the journey again to throwing from an MLB mound, one thing Ohtani hasn’t achieved since he was with the Los Angeles Angels on August 23, 2023.
A lot, after all, has occurred for Ohtani since that date, as he moved to the Dodgers with an enormous 10-year deal and have become one of many catalysts for the franchise to win its eighth World Collection and twenty fifth Nationwide League pennant final yr.
A part of the group’s success was because of Ohtani’s historic season, as he turned the primary MLB participant to report 50-plus dwelling runs and 50-plus steals in a single season. These 54 homers and 59 stolen bases helped him seize the Nationwide League Most Helpful Participant award, his third MVP (with the primary two coming with the Angels).
As nice as Ohtani was because the group’s designated hitter final season, his worth may creep even greater in 2025 as soon as he returns to the mound. After present process arthroscopic surgical procedure on his left shoulder in November, Ohtani told reporters earlier within the week that he needs to be able to return to his designated-hitting duties this spring and pitch in a sport in Might.
Ohtani and the Dodgers open the season in Tokyo on March 18 within the first of a two-game sequence in opposition to the Chicago Cubs.
