LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani threw his first bullpen session in a month on Saturday, however the reigning NL MVP nonetheless has loads of work to do earlier than he takes the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ohtani threw greater than 20 pitches within the bullpen at Dodger Stadium after throwing lengthy toss within the outfield.
The 2-way celebrity was additionally in his customary leadoff spot within the Dodgers’ lineup because the designated hitter for his or her sequence finale towards the Detroit Tigers.
He hadn’t thrown off a mound since Feb. 25, when he paused his pitching work in spring coaching to organize for the common season as a hitter.
Ohtani has nonetheless thrown repeatedly on flat floor within the ensuing month.
Dave Roberts speculated earlier within the yr that Ohtani may be capable to make his pitching debut for the Dodgers by Might, however the supervisor reiterated Saturday that there’s no agency timeline.
“It’s going to be some time,” Roberts stated. “I feel that you just begin with the pure development of a bullpen (session), and also you’ve obtained to then combine completely different pitches in to face hitters once more. So I don’t have a timeline. I don’t assume anybody does, however we’re a methods away.”
Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a serious league recreation since he had surgical procedure on his proper elbow in September 2023 throughout his remaining month with the Los Angeles Angels.
He had extra surgical procedure on his left shoulder final November after recording the primary 50-homer, 50-stolen-base season in main league historical past and main the Dodgers to their World Collection championship.
The Dodgers have the luxurious of time with Ohtani, who’s within the second season of his 10-year, $700 million contract.
He already has two homers amongst his six hits with 1.286 OPS within the first 4 video games of the brand new season.
Los Angeles’ rotation is loaded in the mean time with newcomers Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki pitching alongside Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Dustin Might.
However the Dodgers have a prolonged latest historical past of significant accidents to their beginning pitchers, and Ohtani’s return possible will enable the crew to determine a six-man rotation, since Ohtani gained’t take up a roster spot as a pitcher.
“I feel that we’re nonetheless an excellent membership with him as a DH, clearly,” Roberts stated. “We nonetheless need him to pitch. He desires to pitch, and I do assume that he can deal with it. He’s executed it up to now. I feel the query is, ‘How a lot do we’d like him proper now?’ And I feel we’ve answered that. His well being is most vital. It’s paramount, and so each time that point is, his buildup reaches that full maturation, he’ll pitch for us.”
