Los Angeles Dodgers fans recently caught their first glimpse of Shohei Ohtani pitching in Dodger blue.
Ohtani suffered a major elbow injury last season that required Tommy John surgery. The two-way star was ruled out as a pitcher for the 2024 season with an eye toward 2024.
On Saturday, Ohtani was seen pitching on a mound for the first time since going under the knife last September. The former MVP was wearing a Freeman shirt in support of Freddie Freeman’s son Max, who had a medical scare earlier this season.
Shohei Ohtani last night, 40/40.
Today, throwing off a mound for the first time since elbow surgery 👀 pic.twitter.com/jjQtSCqZkF
— MLB (@MLB) August 25, 2024
The hard-throwing right-hander has been seen playing catch at times during the season. But Saturday was his first real bullpen session since signing with the Dodgers.
Ohtani, when healthy, is arguably just as impactful on the mound as he is in the batter’s box — and that says a lot. The 30-year-old has an ERA of 3.01 and a WHIP of 1.08 across 86 career starts. His ERA since 2021 is an even lower 2.84, which is the second-best mark in the majors throughout that span.
It’s been quite an eventful couple of days for Ohtani.
On Friday, he joined the prestigious 40-40 club when he tallied his 40th stolen base and 40th home run in the same contest against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The baseball gods couldn’t have scripted the moment any better.
