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The Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitching staff has been living in an injury nightmare, from Kirby Yates to Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, and more. But there’s finally a glimmer of hope coming from the bullpen, and it’s a big one.
Shohei Ohtani, the $700 million man and baseball’s unicorn, is inching closer to making his pitching debut for the Dodgers. Though he’s dazzled at the plate since joining LA, his right arm, fresh off elbow surgery, has been biding its time. But now? The wait might be paying off.
After throwing 50 bullpen pitches on May 17 without any breaking balls, Ohtani just added sliders and other breakers to his throwing session for the first time since surgery, per The Associated Press. Until now, he’d only been letting it rip with fastballs and splitters.
This is a huge step in his rehab, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is cautiously optimistic:
“It is progressing. I’m not sure when he’s going to take that slider from the flat ground to the bullpen, but that is progress.”
Translation? He’s not throwing 100 mph lasers in-game just yet, but the signs are very promising.
While there’s still no official return date, post-All-Star break looks like the sweet spot for his long-awaited return to the mound, barring any setbacks. And when he does finally toe the rubber in Dodger blue, it could be the jolt this injury-depleted rotation desperately needs.
So Dodgers fans, hang tight, Shohei the pitcher is coming. And when he arrives, it’s going to be must-watch baseball.