Shohei Ohtani reportedly completes 26-pitch bullpen session to continue progress towards Dodgers pitching debut

The Los Angeles Dodgers are getting closer to including Shohei Ohtani in their starting rotation, 18 months after he underwent elbow surgery on his right arm. According to The Washington Post's Anthony Sanfilippo, Ohtani reportedly threw 26 pitches in a bullpen session prior to the start of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. The two-way superstar even pitched a few splitters, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts felt the session was "positive."

Shohei Ohtani underwent the elbow surgery on September 19, 2023, while he was still playing in the American League with the Los Angeles Angels. He has not yet taken the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers since joining the team on a 10-year, $700 million deal at the start of the 2024 season. Ohtani put up the first ever 50-50 campaign in the MLB to win the National League MVP as a DH last year.

This year, the Dodgers are planning to make Shohei Ohtani a part of their starting rotation as well. The Japanese superstar worked on his pitching in the early stages of spring training but had paused it temporarily since February 25 to get ready as a hitter for Opening Day. On Saturday, Ohtani finished his second bullpen session since he resumed his pitching ramp-up on March 29.

Manager Dave Roberts spoke to reporters after watching the bullpen session of Shohei Ohtani.

"It's a week, but then there's also the one in between, where he touches the mound on a Thursday," Roberts said. "And I think it's just more trying to keep him on a similar seven-day program, and what the schedule would look [like] going out, and build from there."

The Dodgers already have vast depth in the starting pitching department and are likely to move to a six-man rotation once Ohtani makes his pitching debut next month.

"This feels like my last chance as a pitcher": Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani is expected to make his pitching debut for the Dodgers in May (Image Source: IMAGN)

Shohei Ohtani underwent his first elbow surgery the year after his phenomenal debut campaign in the MLB, when he was named the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year. He is presently returning from his second one and has stated that he will be forced to give up pitching entirely if he injures his throwing arm once again.

"For me, this feels like my last chance as a pitcher," he said in an interview in February. "I'm mentally preparing for it to be my last opportunity, and with that in mind, I must be cautious."

"During the rehabilitation process, I’ll be as careful as possible, but when it comes to the actual game, I don't think I’ll be thinking in terms of 'slow and steady.' I intend to maintain a sense of balance and keep things sharp," he added.

Thus far, Ohtani has made 86 appearances as a starting pitcher in the major leagues and logged in 481.2 innings. He has a 38-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and 1.082 WHIP, besides finishing in fourth place for the AL Cy Young Award in 2023.