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 collection finale in opposition to 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 commonly on flat floor within the ensuing month.
Dave Roberts speculated earlier within the yr that Ohtani may have the ability to make his pitching debut for the Dodgers by Could, however the supervisor reiterated Saturday that there’s no agency timeline.
“It’s going to be a while,” Roberts stated. “I think that you start with the natural progression of a bullpen (session), and you’ve got to then mix different pitches in to face hitters again. So I don’t have a timeline. I don’t think anyone does, but we’re a ways away.”
Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a serious league recreation since he had surgical procedure on his proper elbow in September 2023 throughout his ultimate 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 posh 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 Could.
However the Dodgers have a prolonged latest historical past of great accidents to their beginning pitchers, and Ohtani’s return doubtless will enable the group to ascertain a six-man rotation, since Ohtani received’t take up a roster spot as a pitcher.
“I think that we’re still a very good club with him as a DH, obviously,” Roberts stated. “We still want him to pitch. He wants to pitch, and I do think that he can handle it. He’s done it in the past. I think the question is, ‘How much do we need him right now?’ And I think we’ve answered that. His health is most important. It’s paramount, and so whenever that time is, his buildup reaches that full maturation, he’ll pitch for us.”
