Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers (31) successfully completed his second live pitching.
Major League Baseball's official media outlet, MLB.com, reported on the 1st (Korea time) that "Ohtani threw 29 pitches while facing two batters (one left-handed and one right-handed) from Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, who had just been called up, in preparation for a game against the Yankees on Saturday (1st) at Dodger Stadium."
Ohtani is a two-way superstar who has a career batting average of .282 in 930 Major League games with 3,340 at-bats, 943 hits, 247 home runs, 604 RBIs, 623 runs, 156 stolen bases, and an OPS of .953, while also recording 38 wins and 19 losses in 86 games (481.2 innings) as a pitcher with a 3.01 ERA. However, he underwent elbow surgery in September 2023 and has not appeared in a Major League game since Aug. 24 against Cincinnati.
Initially, Ohtani planned to return as a pitcher early this season. However, he injured his left shoulder while stealing a base in Game 2 of last year's World Series, which required surgery, and the rehabilitation program for pitchers was halted, delaying his return to the mound. It was anticipated to be around May before the season, but he is now preparing with the goal of returning in the second half without rushing.
Ohtani completed his first live pitching before the away game against the Mets on the 26th of last month. While pitching against coaches Kim Hae-sung, Dalton Rushing, and J.T. Watkins, Ohtani threw a total of 22 pitches, recorded 1 inning with 2 hits allowed, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts. His maximum speed reached 97 miles per hour (156.1 km/h).
In his second live pitching session that day, Ohtani recorded 2 innings with 2 hits allowed, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted that Ohtani used all his pitches and completed the live session feeling good. MLB.com stated, "When Ohtani will return to the big leagues as a pitcher is still unknown. However, the Dodgers superstar is showing gradual progress every week."
Roberts said, "I think Ohtani felt it would have been better if his control had been a bit better," but emphasized that it was "a really positive day for Shohei," highlighting the success of Ohtani's second live pitching. He added, "The most impressive thing is Ohtani's ability to distinguish between pitching and hitting. He is essentially serving both roles, and he continues to show amazing performance at the plate."
MLB.com predicts that "Ohtani is expected to pitch after completing simulated games without making any minor league rehabilitation appearances. He should be able to handle up to 6 innings, so he will be an option in the Dodgers' starting rotation after the All-Star break."
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