Shohei Ohtani faces live hitters for first time since elbow surgery
Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound took another step forward on Sunday when he faced live hitters for the first time since his 2023 Tommy John revision surgery on his right elbow.
Ohtani faced rookies Kim Hye-seong and Dalton Rushing, as well as team planning coach J.T. Watkins, who stood in as the third hitter, during the session, which came before a road game against the New York Mets.
According to reports out of New York, Ohtani had a pair of strikeouts and a walk. Kim doubled and grounded back to the mound.
Ohtani has not pitched in a major league game since Aug. 23, 2023, for the Los Angeles Angels when he lasted just 1⅓ innings against the Cincinnati Reds. He also missed the 2019 season as a pitcher for the Angels after he underwent his original Tommy John surgery.
In 86 career MLB starts, Ohtani is 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA. His hitting and pitching exploits helped him to earn American League MVP Awards with the Angels in 2021 and 2023. He won the National League MVP for the Dodgers last season as a designated hitter only when he hit 54 home runs with 59 stolen bases.
Originally estimated to be back on the mound this month, the Dodgers slowed down Ohtani's rehab schedule, with team president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman recently saying, the goal was to have Ohtani pitching through October.
The recovery schedule could have Ohtani pitching again around the All-Star break.
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