Shohei Ohtani will be back on the pitching mound against the Padres!
The Los Angeles Dodgers are all set to launch their star player, Shohei Ohtani’s pitching career as a Dodger on Monday when they take on the San Diego Padres. Ohtani’s debut as a pitcher for Los Angeles is one of the more anticipated news for the Dodgers fanbase, as they have yet to see him in action on the mound ever since signing with the team in December 2023.
The Japanese native has not pitched in an MLB game since August 23, 2023, due to injury. Ohtani suffered a right oblique inflammation in his elbow during a practice session on September 4, 2023, and since then, he hasn’t pitched in the league. Previously, he also tore his UCL just a few days prior, for which he ended up going under the knife.
The 3-time MVP has worked his way back from injury and has shown decent progress. Dodgers’ general manager, Dave Roberts, stated that Ohtani will make his first start as a pitcher for the team during the series against the Padres.
“Shohei is getting antsy, which is a good thing for us. I don’t know if it’s going to be one or two innings, but you know my guess is probably an inning to start.”
The team will continue to take things slowly as of now, and it is widely expected that Ohtani may pitch for just one or two innings at most in his first game. Nevertheless, it is great news and one that is welcomed at this point, as his return to the pitching mound will no doubt lift the Dodgers’ bullpen.
Currently, L.A. is facing several injury woes with eight starters and six relievers, so Ohtani’s comeback is coming at the right time. Earlier, it was thought that he would not be able to return to pitching until after the All-Star break, but recently, the 2024 NL RBI leader upped his pitch count during the team’s live sessions.
Ohtani’s two-way ability as a starting pitcher and batter puts him in a rare league. While he has continued to display his batting prowess for the Dodgers since last season, Ohtani’s pitching record with the Los Angeles Angels proves his capabilities on the mound as well.
Since joining the Angels in 2018, Ohtani has a career win-loss record of 38-19 as a starting pitcher with a more than decent ERA of 3.01. He also has 608 strikeouts to go along with that. Ohtani’s best season as a pitcher came in 2022 when he started 28 games and finished 15-9. He had a career-best 219 strikeouts and an excellent ERA of 2.33.
Although such numbers will be difficult to replicate for the 2024 World Series Champion with the Dodgers, his return to the starting lineup as a pitcher will only be an advantage for L.A. towards the end of the season. There is still plenty of time for him to get back to his best, but his return is earlier than expected, and that should give Dodgers fans plenty of hope.
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