Shohei Ohtani delivers in his first pitching appearance in almost two years, in the first inning of Monday’s game against the San Diego Padres. Ohtani made 28 pitches, allowing two hits and a run.
Shohei Ohtani makes his long-awaited Dodgers pitching debut, nearly two years after elbow surgery.
By MIKEY HIRANO CULROSS
Rafu Sports Editor
From the parking lots, to the turnstiles and stairwells, fans were rushing to their seats ahead of the first pitch.
No, it wasn’t Opening Day, the World Series or some coveted giveaway, just a regular-season game between the Dodgers and their rivals to the south, the San Diego Padres.
What made the very beginning something to behold was evidenced by empty counters at the concession stands and summed up by a fan in the Field Level seats, who bellowed, “We’ve been waiting for this for two years!”
Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ international unicorn of a baseball star, finally reinstated his status as a two-way player on Monday June 16th, taking the mound as the opening pitcher against the Padres.
It was Ohtani’s first official appearance on an MLB mound in 663 days.
“I’m grateful for the moment I had today,” said Ohtani, after he threw only 28 pitches, giving up two hits and a run in the Dodgers’ 6-3 victory. “I’m not quite happy with my results, but we got a win and there’s a lot to take away from tonight.”
Ohtani hadn’t pitched since Aug. 23, 2023, when he was a member of the Angels and it was decided he would need a second Tommy John surgery to repair his pitching elbow. He played all of the 2024 season as a full-time designated hitter, wowing the baseball world with his 54 home runs and 56 stolen bases. He became the first player in MLB history to achieve a 50/50 season en route to being named the National League’s Most Valuable Player.
“First of all, let me express my gratitude to all the team staff and people who have supported me, to help me be healthy and pitching again,” he said in an on-field interview immediately following the game.
Ohtani admitted he was indeed nervous at first. He was hoping to have his fastball top out at 95 miles per hour or so, but at least two pitches sailed in at 100 mph.
“I think the adrenaline came out,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who admitted he was initially awestruck along with the sellout crowd at the once-in-a-lifetime player’s return to the mound.
The sellout crowed was thrilled to see Ohtani on the mound for the first time in 663 days.
“To see him come in from the [bullpen before the game], and all that stuff happening, I was kind of fan-boying for half an inning,” he said.
Ohtani’s first pitch was a 98-mile-per-hour sinker fouled off by Padres leadoff hitter Fernando Tatis Jr., who later managed a weakly hit single and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly to center, barely beating the throw by centerfielder Andy Pages.
After recording the third out, Ohtani wasted no time switching gears, as he was also in the Dodgers’ lineup as their leadoff designated hitter.
“It was surreal, really interesting to see him come straight from the mound to the on-deck circle to get all his [batting gear] on,” Roberts said in a post-game press conference.
At the plate, Ohtani went 2-for-4, including a run-scoring double in the third inning that tied the game at 1-1.
The announcement of Ohtani’s pitching return came as quite the surprise to all of baseball on Sunday night. His debut as a Dodgers hurler had widely been expected to happen after the All-Star break in July, but seemed to be moving closer after a couple of productive sessions facing live hitters beginning last month.
Ohtani said he will pay close attention to how his body feels and will expect to pitch in a limited capacity, about once per week, and hopes to go longer with each successive outing.
His reactivation is also a welcome development for a Dodgers’ pitching staff that has been decimated by injuries, including Blake Snell and their crown jewel of off-season signees, Roki Sasaki.
“It was fun to see him out there,” said catcher Will Smith, marveling at how many fans crowded the aisles alongside the bullpen to watch Ohtani take his warm-up tosses before the game. “Hopefully, there are a lot more innings to come.”