The superstar for Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani is sweating it out ahead of the Major League Baseball's (MLB) upcoming season. It's hard to dent the fact that Ohtani can change any course of the game with his talents. He reached his third MVP award last season as he became the first player in history to register 50 stolen bases and 50 home runs in the same season. He was a force to reckon with at the plate in 2024 season, as he is eyeing to make his return to the mound as a pitcher.
What did MLB insider report about Shohei Ohtani?
The Japanese international did not try his hand at pitching in the 2024 season as he underwent surgery to repair the UCL in his right elbow in 2023. He has continued to work through pitching programs in the hope that he will make a comeback on the mound.
There is a chance that he make his return on the mound before June as he has arrived for the team's camp in Arizona.
MLB insider Daisuke Sugiura recently shared a clip in which Ohtani was seen throwing at the team's facility in Glendale. It shows his dedication levels towards his game as he wants to strive to be the best.
The last time Ohtani pitched in MLB was back in 2023 when he used to play for the Los Angeles Angels. He brought his A-game in that season as he posted a 10-5 record with a 3.14 ERA with 167 strikeouts over 132.0 innings of work. There is no doubt that Ohtani is a great pitcher but it will be interesting to see how he makes a comeback after the second elbow surgery of his career.
Back in 2018, Ohtani underwent Tommy John Surgery and it took him three years that he would make his return to pitching in 2021. Dodgers will look to take it slow in Ohtani's case as he is an asset to the team going forward.
Los Angeles Dodgers add players in their Pitching department
Los Angeles Dodgers have added two-time CY Young Award winner Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki in the pitching department. This could ease off the pressure from Ohtani's shoulder.
Several players were sidelined due to injury as they will look to make their way back to the rotation, including Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May.