"Glaze Alex Bregman instead of this clown"; "Looking a little crusty" - Fans react to Shohei Ohtani's 2025 Spring Training debut with Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani hit the mound for the first time since undergoing his second Tommy John surgery.

MLB.com captured the two-way sensation’s first bullpen session this spring, showing how Ohtani is gradually building his way up to full pitching sessions. While the news is welcome to some fans, others are not so impressed by Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound.

Let’s take a look at what these fans had to say:

“Please glaze Alex Bregman instead of this clown,” a fan opined.

“Looking a little crusty,” this fan weighed in.

“Over exposed. Shohei Fatigue Syndrome is starting to set in,” another fan commented.

While some fans were hardly impressed, others took advantage of the opportunity to show their support for Shohei Ohtani’s anticipated return to the mound this season. Let’s look at what these fans commented on social media:

“Shohei looks good!!!” a fan wrote on X.

“I heard this guy can hit too,” another fan remarked.

“Generational talent. Go Dodgers go go!” a fan chimed in.

The Dodgers will be looking to gradually ramp up Ohtani, potentially bringing him back into the pitching staff by mid-season. As Walker Buehler’s plan showed last season, Ohtani could be back pitching at some point in late May or early June.

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Excitement surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s first bullpen session

The Dodgers’ camp was abuzz on Friday as Shohei Ohtani took the mound for the first time this spring.

According to the LA Times, Ohtani threw 14 pitches, all two-seam and four-seam fastballs. Per manager Dave Roberts, Ohtani hit a velocity between 92 and 94 mph. That’s not bad for Ohtani who hasn’t thrown on the mound since 2023.

The Times quoted Roberts as declaring:

“For a first day, that’s great.”

Roberts added that the team’s goal is to have Ohtani face real hitters by the end of spring training. While Ohtani will certainly be in the opening day lineup at DH, the Dodgers will take their time easing Ohtani into the pitching staff.

With Ohtani set to return as soon as late May, the club will need to keep a close eye on its current staff. The addition of 23-year-old Roki Sasaki will help the pitching staff, but between Sasaki’s adjustment to the Majors, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s potential injury issues, and the uncertain timetable for Clayton Kershaw’s return, Roberts will need to be mindful of his pitchers at the start of the season.

If all goes well, the Dodgers could get Ohtani and Kershaw at some point early in the season. That situation would do wonders for a Dodgers pitching staff that’s already loaded with talent, particularly after adding former Cy Young winner Blake Snell to the fold.