Shohei Ohtani’s achievements with the bat in his hands this season have been so magnificent that it’s easy to forget that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar also is a top-tier pitcher.
Recovering from a second major elbow surgery, Ohtani won’t pitch this season, but he took a big leap toward 2025 on Saturday when he went into the Dodger Stadium bullpen and threw from the mound for the first time in one year.
He last threw in a game on Aug. 23, 2023, for the Angels before suffering ligament damage in his right pitching elbow.
Per a report from The Athletic, Ohtani threw 10 pitches in his abbreviated session.
The Dodgers signed Ohtani, 30, to a 10-year, $700 million contract last December, knowing he’d be limited to hitting duties only this season. Despite that, the team is receiving a significant return on the investment.
On Friday, Ohtani became the sixth player in MLB history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases, and he added a homer on Saturday in an extra-inning loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
He leads the National League with 41 home runs and is tied with Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves for the RBI lead with 94.
Even a future Hall of Famer is in awe of Ohtani.
“Can’t say enough,” teammate Clayton Kershaw said. “I don’t know what else you can say. It’s just every night there’s something special that he does, all the while rehabbing and trying to get ready to pitch. It’s pretty remarkable.”