Ohtani, what was the rush? Before returning to the mound, he caught it. I had a normal pitching job, and last year was abnormal

Jun 16, 2025

Ohtani, what was the rush? Before returning to the mound, he caught it. I had a normal pitching job, and last year was abnormal
LA Dodgers Shohei Ohtani sits side by side with Yoshinobu Yamamoto during the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on the 16th (Korea time). AP Yonhap News



Ohtani, what was the rush? Before returning to the mound, he caught it. I had a normal pitching job, and last year was abnormal
Otani swings at the plate in the seventh inning. AP Yonhap News
LA Dodgers Shohei Ohtani will return to the mound. It is the first time in two years that the team will tap the hearts of baseball fans around the world.

Shortly after winning the last of three consecutive home games against the San Francisco Giants 5-4 at Dodger Stadium on the 16th (Korea time), the Dodgers officially announced that "Otani will start the home game against the San Diego Padres on the 17th.'

The Dodgers, which are running first in the NL West, will play four consecutive home games against San Diego at Dodger Stadium on the 17th and 20th. Ohtani is the starting pitcher for the first game. The opponent's San Diego starter is even more interesting because he is ace Dylan Shees.




MLB.com said 'Otani Shohei's live pitching has attracted the attention of not only teammates but also opposing team players. However, the way for his build-up as a pitcher to actually take place has finally opened the door for him, saying the Dodgers have decided to send Ohtani to tomorrow's night game against the Padres at Dodger Stadium.

After the game, Roberts said "Otani played pitching rehabilitation in various ways, including live pitching and simulated games. Now I'm ready to take the mound "Otani doesn't need a typical starter build-up process. You can throw one or two innings and continue to increase the number of innings in the future. In the current situation, it seems desirable for Ohtani to throw one or two innings as a starter. There is something to gain, nothing to lose. This is what our situation is like now."

Ohtani, what was the rush? Before returning to the mound, he caught it. I had a normal pitching job, and last year was abnormal
Shohei Otani is pitching live at Dodger Stadium on the 1st (Korea time). ImagesYonhap News
Roberts then said he would pitch live once more for about four innings a week ago. But in conversation, he was sure it was the right time," he added.




Roberts previously watched Ohtani's third live pitching of the season on the 11th, and positively predicted his return to ML before the All-Star break, saying, `The probability is more than zero.' At that time, Ohtani threw 44 pitches, and his fastball speed was formed from 95 to 96 miles.

After leading the game to an 11-5 victory with two home runs against San Francisco on the 15th, Ohtani said "The pitch intensity has been increased, and the pitch is also ready for the game." In other words, he wanted to return to the mound early, and he even decided on the mound game.

Ohtani then said "I think it's normal to go back to playing as a pitching and hitting player as usual. Last season was not normal for me. Back to the figure I'm used to..." it gave meaning.




Ohtani, what was the rush? Before returning to the mound, he caught it. I had a normal pitching job, and last year was abnormal
Shohei Ohtani, a pitcher during his time with the Los Angeles Angels. AP Yonhap News
Ohtani's last real pitching was in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds at Angel Stadium on Aug. 24, 2023, during his time with the Los Angeles Angels. At that time, Ohtani went down the mound due to pain in his right arm during pitching in the second inning, and later ended the season as a pitcher and underwent elbow ligament reconstruction surgery in September. It was Tommy John Surgery for the second time in his life.

Ohtani, who steadily rehabilitated pitching while serving as a designated hitter after moving to the Dodgers last year, however, injured his left shoulder while sliding when stealing second base in the second game of the World Series against the New York Yankees in October, putting a brake on his return to the mound scenario. Eventually, he stopped pitching training and devoted himself to rehabilitation again throughout the offseason.

Ohtani, who started bullpen pitching in April this season, has calmly improved his condition and has been exploring the timing of his return by conducting his first live pitching on May 26.

As of today, Ohtani has a batting average of 0.297 (83 hits in 279 at-bats), 25 home runs, 41 RBIs, 73 runs, 44 walks, 11 steals, a on-base percentage of 0.393, a slugging percentage of 0.642, and an OPS of 1.035. It ranks first in NL home runs, runs, slugging percentage, and OPS. If he successfully returns as a pitcher, it is not unreasonable to say that he will also receive his fourth MVP unanimously.

Ohtani, what was the rush? Before returning to the mound, he caught it. I had a normal pitching job, and last year was abnormal
Otani is throwing the ball at Dodger Stadium on the 1st (Korea time). AFP Yonhap News




This article was translated by Naver AI translator.