Shohei Ohtani faced live batters in a throwing session Sunday afternoon for the first time since his 2023 elbow surgery. Then he did the other thing he’s good at, crushing a leadoff homer against the New York Mets.
Facing countryman Kodai Senga, Ohtani cranked the ball 108.2 mph to the second deck at Citi Field, with Statcast projecting the distance at 411 feet. It was Ohtani’s 18th homer of the year, tying him with Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead.
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It was also only the second homer Senga had allowed all season.
Prior to the game, Ohtani threw to teammates Hyeseong Kim and Dalton Rushing, in addition to game-planning and communication coach J.T. Watkins. He threw 22 pitches through five at-bats, getting two strikeouts and one walk.
That checked off another important box in his path to returning to pitching and again becoming the two-way superstar who earned a $700 million contract in free agency.
Kim made hard contact twice, including a comebacker to Ohtani, which he fielded on a hop, and a line drive to right field. Seeking assurance, Ohtani asked outfielder Teoscar Hernández if he would have caught the ball.
Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior told reporters that Ohtani mostly threw fastballs at 94-95 mph, but got up to 96-97. He also threw a splitter and a couple of sweepers in what Prior felt was an encouraging session.
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“It’s a big step getting on a mound, facing hitters,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday, via the New York Daily News.
Roberts added that the next step would be amping up his velocity while also throwing his slider. Ohtani added breaking pitches during a session for the first time this week.
Dodgers pitchers currently rank 11th in the NL (and 22rd in MLB) with a 4.14 ERA. Starters Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki are all on the injured list, along with relievers Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips and Kirby Yates. So Ohtani being able to contribute will be welcomed. The question is when that will be, and Ohtani isn’t yet at the point where doctors, executives and coaches are ready to project any kind of timeline.
