Shohei Ohtani’s First Pitching Outing Since 2023
Shohei Ohtani stepped back onto the mound Monday night, and while the results weren’t perfect, there was plenty to be encouraged about. In his first appearance as a pitcher since August 2023, Ohtani gave up one run in one inning against the San Diego Padres, but also flashed the kind of electric stuff that makes him a generational talent.
This was a huge moment for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal last offseason despite knowing he’d miss a full year of pitching due to elbow surgery. Now, in just the second year of his deal, Ohtani is once again a two-way weapon.
Shohei Ohtani Numbers
Ohtani tossed 28 pitches, 16 for strikes. The Padres came ready, Fernando Tatis Jr. opened with a single, followed by another from Luis Arraez, and Manny Machado brought Tatis home with a sacrifice fly. But that was all the damage.
And even during that stretch, Ohtani reminded everyone why he’s so dangerous. His fastball hit 100.2 mph, tied for the second-fastest pitch by any Dodgers pitcher this season. That came with an average velocity of 99.1 mph across nine fastballs. He also mixed in 10 sweepers, 8 sinkers, and 1 splitter, per Baseball Savant.
Ahead of Schedule—and Looking Dangerous
When spring training opened, nobody expected to see Ohtani pitch before the All-Star Break. But after a simulated 44-pitch outing last week, manager Dave Roberts left the door open—and Ohtani kicked it down.
The real win here isn’t the box score, it’s the confidence. After a rocky year for the Dodgers’ pitching staff, just having Ohtani back in any capacity gives Roberts more options and fans more hope.
He may not go deep into games yet, but even one inning of Ohtani is a game-changer. Could we see him become a high-leverage reliever while ramping up? It’s on the table.
A Two-Way Star Again
Let’s not forget: Ohtani is still dominating at the plate. He came into the game with a 1.034 OPS and 25 home runs, and that’s just on offense.
Now that he’s back on the bump, the Dodgers might finally be getting the full Ohtani experience again. Monday was just one inning, but it might be the start of something much bigger.
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