By Miguel Rapetti
Aug 24, 2024, 11:43 PM EDT
Los Angeles Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani took the mound on Saturday and threw pitches for the first time this season, beginning his arm recovery from Tommy John surgery he underwent in 2023.
Just one day after sealing the Dodgers’ 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays with a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning, Ohtani and his team of trainers scheduled the first pitches for his right arm since leaving the operating room almost a year ago, in September.
Saturday’s training session consisted of 10 pitches that he threw from the practice bullpen at Dodgers Stadium, marking the first time in 2024 that he has taken the ball as a pitcher. He had previously made some simple pitches but on flat ground.
Shohei Ohtani’s throwing rehab is getting better day by day.
One day after this man reaches 40-40 and the only thing on his mind is getting back to full form 🐐
pic.twitter.com/gJh7thgsVc— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) August 24, 2024
While it’s a significant step forward to have Ohtani back in the game, especially after having served as the designated hitter all season, it’s unknown when he’ll get another bullpen session.
In fact, Dodgers doctors made it clear that there was no chance Ohtani would see action as a starter or reliever for the remainder of the 2024 season or the upcoming postseason, leaving his return as a pitcher scheduled for 2025.
There is also the expectation of what his return as a pitcher could be in 2025, as it will be the second Tommy John surgery of his career after the one he underwent in 2019, and to find out if he will be able to maintain the level from the mound that has made him position himself as one of the greatest players in the history of baseball, due to his ability to hit and pitch.
If he returns to the Dodgers’ starting rotation in 2025, it would be a continuation of numbers that culminated in a 10-5 record for the Los Angeles Angels in 2023, averaging a 3.14 earned run percentage before his season was cut short by elbow ligament discomfort that ended his semester.
Offensively, Ohtani has not disappointed during his first season with the Dodgers, completing a 40-homer, 40-stolen-base campaign and hitting .292 with 92 RBIs, making him the favorite to win the first MVP award in Major League history for a full-time designated hitter.
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