The Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2024 NL MVP and Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani is working on returning to the team’s pitching staff as early as May.
Ohtani has already proved he can be the team’s best player with just the bat, becoming the first player ever to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season.
But what makes the two-way star with three MVPs so special is his relentlessness in always improving and unlocking the best version of himself.
As the Dodgers have reported to their spring training facility in Glendale, Arizona, all eyes are on Ohtani as he gets back on the mound after having Tommy John surgery more than a year ago.
It has been since August 2023 that Ohtani last pitched in an MLB game.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) teammate Shohei Ohtani
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, in Shohei Ohtani’s first bullpen session, he threw 92-94 mph.
It’s unclear whether he was throwing 100 mph, but still, it is an impressive start for Ohtani, who is eyeing a return to the bump in May to make his Dodgers pitching debut.
Ohtani posted a 3.14 ERA over 132 innings with the Los Angeles Angels in 2023. He will join an already-loaded starting rotation that includes fellow Japanese stars Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.
In another tweet by The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, manager Dave Roberts alluded to the possibility of Ohtani seeing live hitters by mid-March when the team departs for its Tokyo Series.
