Ohtani Shines: Impactful Return to the Mound with the Dodgers at 100 MPH

The “unicorn” of baseball, Shohei Ohtani, once again dazzled on the diamond. After almost two years without pitching in the Major Leagues, the Japanese star returned to the mound this Monday with the Los Angeles Dodgers, generating great excitement in Dodger Stadium and solidifying his reputation as one of the most exceptional players of all time. In the 6-3 victory over the San Diego Padres, Ohtani was not only the starting pitcher, but also batted first in the order. His fastball reached 100.2 miles per hour, allowed one run in one inning of work, and hit two hits in four at-bats, driving in two runs.

Great to see Shohei Ohtani back on the mound!

I am very grateful… beyond the results, I was able to enjoy and appreciate this moment

Shohei Ohtani

An Exciting Return

The atmosphere in the stadium was electrifying. The stands were flooded with jerseys with the number 17. When Ohtani entered the field from the bullpen with the song “Feeling Good” by Michael Bublé, the fans erupted in applause.

I was like another fan, excited for half an inning.

Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager

Upon his return, the Japanese pitcher faced Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arraez, allowing consecutive singles. However, he managed to limit the damage to a single run thanks to a sacrifice fly by Manny Machado. His first out came on his 18th pitch, and of his 28 pitches, 14 exceeded 98 mph.

My goal was to stay between 95 and 96, but the intensity of the game led me to throw harder.

Shohei Ohtani

A Historic Milestone

With this performance, Ohtani became the first pitcher in Dodgers history with at least one start and more than 79 home runs with the team, surpassing Don Drysdale’s record (29 HR). In addition, he is the fourth pitcher since 1900 to start a game and bat first in the order, along with César Tovar (1968), Al Dark (1953) and Jim Jones (1901). In the offensive, Ohtani responded after striking out in his first at-bat with a run-scoring double that tied the score. He then scored a run, contributing to the Dodgers staying at the top of the National League West Division.

Next Steps

If everything goes as planned, Ohtani will pitch once a week. I want to see how my body reacts, but I hope I can go a little further each time so as not to overload the bullpen.