Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers) is getting closer to returning to the mound. The American sports media 'Sports Illustrated' published an article on the 24th (Korean time) titled 'Ohtani reaches a pivotal turning point on his return to pitching.'
The media reported, "Ohtani is scheduled to face batters for the first time since undergoing his second elbow ligament reconstructive surgery, and it can be said to be the biggest progress in his rehabilitation process."
It also added, "Ohtani is such an important presence in the Dodgers lineup that he is preparing for his return through live pitching and simulation games instead of minor league rehabilitation outings."
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the road game against the New York Mets on the 24th, "Ohtani is scheduled to participate in live pitching tomorrow (25th). He will likely face batters directly. This is a big progress in Ohtani's return to pitching."
He also noted, "So far, the recovery process has been smooth. Even when throwing lightly, he has reached a maximum speed of 153 km/h. Everyone wants to see Ohtani throw against batters. It will be really exciting when he starts picking up pace." He added, "Of course, it will progress according to the judgment of the player, the training staff, and the medical team."
Ohtani has not stepped on the mound since 2023. He also has no appearance record since transferring to the Dodgers last year. Playing both as a pitcher and a hitter, Ohtani has appeared in 86 major league games, recording 38 wins and 19 losses with an earned run average of 3.01. He has struck out 608 batters over 481⅔ innings.
Following his 15 wins and 9 losses with an earned run average of 2.33 in 2022, he achieved 10 wins and 5 losses with an earned run average of 3.14 in 2023. The media noted, "It is even more impressive that he was with the underperforming Los Angeles Angels."
Since joining the Dodgers, Ohtani has only played as a hitter this season, recording a batting average of .304, 17 home runs, 31 runs batted in, and 11 stolen bases. He has been selected to the All-Star game four times, won the Silver Slugger award three times, and has remarkably won the Major League Most Valuable Player award three times. He also played a crucial role in leading the Dodgers to World Series victory last year.
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