Dodgers phenom Shohei Ohtani simply took the primary main step in the direction of his anticipated return to pitching subsequent season. As famous by The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, Ohtani threw off the mound for the primary time since he underwent elbow surgical procedure simply over eleven months in the past. Whereas at present’s ten-pitch bullpen session received’t change the truth that Ohtani isn’t going to pitch within the majors this yr, it’s the newest indicator that the league’s largest star is properly on his approach to returning to two-way play in time for the Dodgers to open the 2025 common season with a two-game set towards the Cubs in Japan subsequent yr.
Whereas Ohtani received’t throw an official pitch for the Dodgers within the first yr of his record-shattering ten-year deal with the membership, that hasn’t stopped the 30-year-old from being a dominant pressure for the membership as they head for his or her Twelfth-consecutive playoff look. Ohtani is presently the consensus favourite for this yr’s NL MVP award, which might be the third MVP of his profession after he captured the AL MVP award in each 2021 and 2023 with the Angels. In 126 video games with the Dodgers this yr, Ohtani has slashed an unimaginable .292/.378/.614 (170 wRC+) throughout 578 journeys to the plate. He grew to become simply the sixth participant in MLB historical past to hit 40 residence runs and steal 40 bases in a season final evening, becoming a member of Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, and Ronald Acuna Jr.
That dominant offensive efficiency has allowed Ohtani to emerge as essentially the most constant menace in a star-studded Dodgers lineup. That’s thanks partially to his sturdiness; whereas fellow superstars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have each missed time this yr, Ohtani has appeared in 126 of the Dodgers’ 129 video games, leaving him tied with Teoscar Hernandez for the membership lead in video games performed this yr. With the surging Diamondbacks and Padres sitting simply 3.5 and 4.5 video games again respectively of L.A. within the race of the NL West, the Dodgers determine to proceed leaning on Ohtani to steer their offense to their eleventh NL West title up to now 12 years.
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- Whereas Ohtani units his sights on returning to the mound in 2025, his fellow nine-figure free agent addition from this previous offseason is hoping to pitch within the majors a lot prior to that. Proper-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto is making vital progress towards a return to motion after being sidelined by a rotator cuff pressure again in June. In accordance with MLB.com’s Harm Tracker, Yamamoto threw a two-inning simulated recreation earlier this week and is scheduled to throw his subsequent bullpen session on Monday. Ought to that session go properly, supervisor Dave Roberts indicated to reporters yesterday that Yamamoto can be in line to start a rehab task this coming Wednesday. The 25-year-old righty was as-advertised in 14 begins previous to the damage this yr with a 2.92 ERA and a couple of.68 FIP with a wonderful 27.9% strikeout charge in 74 innings of labor thus far in his large league profession.
- The longer term is considerably murkier relating to the Dodgers’ third main offseason addition, nevertheless, as supervisor Dave Roberts at present described the rehab plan for right-hander Tyler Glasnow as a “gradual course of” to reporters (together with Ardaya). The righty was positioned on the 15-day injured record simply final week as a consequence of elbow tendinitis and whereas Roberts relayed that he has already resumed enjoying catch from 60 ft, he didn’t present a timeline for the hard-throwing ace’s return to motion past saying that Glasnow’s common season will not be in jeopardy as issues stand. With the Dodgers extraordinarily well-positioned for a postseason berth headed into the common season’s last month, it’s not essentially a shock that the membership can be extraordinarily cautious with the 31-year-old in hopes of guaranteeing his wholesome return for the playoffs this October.
