Shotei Ohtani Returns on the Mound for Los Angeles Dodgers

Summary:

• Shotei Ohtani pitched in an MLB game for the first time since 2023 in Monday’s 6-3 Los Angeles Dodgers’ victory over the San Diego Padres.
• The “unicorn” allowed one run and showcased his triple-digit velocity.
• In total, he threw 28 pitches and generated three swinging strikes.

Shohei Ohtani’s much-anticipated comeback to the mound finally happened Monday night at Dodger Stadium, when the two-way superstar reminded everyone just how rare his talent truly is.

Ohtani stepped back on a major league mound for the first time since 2023 in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ game against the San Diego Padres, which ended in a 6-3 victory for his team.

While he showed some rust, there were plenty of glimpses into the electric talent we’ve come to expect.

In his first inning, the 30-year-old fired a 97.6 mph fastball low in the zone to Fernando Tatis Jr. to start things off, which Tatis fouled away.

After falling behind in the count, Ohtani dialed up a 98.3 mph fastball that Tatis swung through before eventually lacing a 99.1 mph heater inside for a single.

Later, with Luis Arraez at the plate and a 1-2 count, Tatis advanced to second on a wild pitch that hit 100.2 mph. Arraez then roped a 98 mph sinker to center, moving Tatis to third. Manny Machado followed with a sacrifice fly to score the game’s first run.

Ohtani appeared to have struck out Machado on a 1-2 sweeper, but the check swing was ruled in the batter’s favor.

Still, Ohtani recovered, getting Gavin Sheets to ground out on a 98.9 mph fastball and Xander Bogaerts to roll one to third on a 95.4 mph sinker to end the inning.

In total, Ohtani threw 28 pitches (16 for strikes) and generated three swinging strikes. It wasn’t a dominant outing by the numbers, but the stuff was clearly there: he averaged 99.1 mph on his four-seamer and threw a mix of sweepers, sinkers, and even a splitter.

What made it all the more remarkable was the fact that he didn’t even take a break after pitching. Following his inning, he headed straight for the rail to put on his gear and leadoff at the plate, with no trip to the dugout, no consult with trainers.

He struck out swinging in his first at-bat against Dylan Cease, who went on a strikeout streak, but Ohtani got his revenge later with a couple of RBI hits.

His return was far from conventional. Most pitchers ease back from surgery through minor league rehab starts. However, given Ohtani’s belief that bullpens require the same prep as games, and his bat being too valuable to lose, the Dodgers let him do it live.

After elbow surgery in 2023 and shoulder surgery following the World Series, Monday marked a major step in Ohtani’s comeback, and an early glimpse of what he still has in the tank.