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Shohei Ohtani seemed to be a little rusty on the mound when he made his debut in Los Angeles Dodgers Monday evening against the Padres of San Diego.
Ohtani opened the match by granting one point on two strokes in the only round he launched. He launched 28 throws in his appearance, which was the second plus by any Dodgers launcher throughout the match.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers share the Shohei Ohtani launcher, # 17, Waves near the mound during the first round of a baseball match against the Padres in San Diego on Monday, June 16, 2025 in Los Angeles. (AP photo / Kyusung Gong)
However, it was a first massive step to return to the mound for live action when it was 21 months without pitching due to an elbow injury. He launched a quick ball at 100.2 MPH.
“I was aimed at sitting 95-96,” said Ohtani through a translator after the Dodgers won the 6-3 match, “but the intensity of the game really allowed me to launch a little harder.”
Ohtani admitted that his nerves were a little more increased for the exit. He went 2 for 4 marble with two produced points, a walk and two stick withdrawals.
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Los Angeles Dodgers leaving the Shohei Ohtani launcher, # 17, throws a San Diego Padres striker in the first round of a baseball match on Monday, June 16, 2025 in Los Angeles. (AP photo / Kyusung Gong)
“But I have reached 100 (MPH) today, so I want to see where my body feels and how it reacts,” he said. “But the wait is for me to go there once a week. I hope I can go a little longer each time I am there so that the enclosure of the lifts is not so taxed.”
While Ohtani was more modest in his first appearance, the third goal player Max Muncy thought that Ohtani looked great.
“The things looked electric, but when you have not launched this time of time, and you don’t really have the chance to make rehabilitation games, maybe the order will not be there and that’s what we saw tonight,” he said.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, # 17, takes place in a race with a double in the third round of a baseball match against the Padres in San Diego on Monday, June 16, 2025 in Los Angeles. (AP photo / Kyusung Gong)
The Dodgers improved at 44-29 with the victory. San Diego fell to 39-32.
