NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to face hitters this weekend for the first time in his recovery from right elbow surgery.
The two-way superstar originally planned to throw live batting practice Saturday afternoon at Citi Field before the Los Angeles Dodgers play the New York Mets. But after the Dodgers needed 13 innings to win 7-5 on Friday night in a rain-delayed game that ended about 1 a.m., manager Dave Roberts told reporters Ohtani decided to push back the session to Sunday because of the long, late night.
It's the next step for Ohtani as he works toward returning to the mound. He had surgery on Sept. 19, 2023, the second major operation on his right elbow since he arrived in the majors, and he hasn't pitched in a big league game since Aug. 23 that year for the Los Angeles Angels.
“It’s a progression. Progress for Shohei,” Roberts said. “He doesn’t tip his hand very often, as far as emotions. But I don’t see how he couldn’t feel that it’s starting to become more realistic.”
There is no target date yet for Ohtani's pitching debut with the Dodgers, though expectations are it could come in July.
“A lot of it is going to be contingent on how he’s feeling and then what the next step is,” Roberts said. "So, I don’t think anyone knows how the next couple months are going to go.”
Roberts wasn't sure how many pitches Ohtani will throw or which Los Angeles teammates he will face.
“I think that we’ve seen the bullpens for quite some time, so to see him going out there and trying to get some major league hitters out, I think we’re all anxious for that,” the manager said.
Ohtani mixed in breaking pitches during a throwing session Tuesday for the first time in his rehabilitation program. Before that, the right-hander had been limited to fastballs and splitters.
“The stuff looks good. It’s easy 94, 95 (mph) coming out of his hand. It’s a really good throw,” Roberts said. “I think we’re all anxious to see how it looks to hitters. When he decides to ramp it up, I’m very anxious with that, too. But it’s all on his schedule, it really is. When he’s going to introduce his slider to hitters, when he wants to really ramp up velocity — all that stuff is between him and the doctor.”
Ohtani threw a 50-pitch bullpen last Saturday, increasing from 35 pitches in his previous session.
Following that workout, the slugger went 0 for 6 with two strikeouts in an 11-9 loss to the Angels. Roberts acknowledged that as the intensity of Ohtani's rehab regimen on the mound increases, it could affect his offense at designated hitter.
“Shohei is very in-tune with his body. But there is even a possibility if we feel as we build up that he’s taxed on a particular Saturday, that he doesn’t play that game,” Roberts said. "I just don’t know how that looks. I really don’t. But I think that we should obviously be open to it.”
At this point, however, the defending World Series champion Dodgers aren't planning to have Ohtani make any minor league rehab starts on the mound that would take him out of the big league lineup.
“Obviously, the buildup’s important — but so is him taking five at-bats in a game,” Roberts said.
Ohtani was tied for the major league lead with 17 homers heading into Friday night's series opener against the Mets, a rematch of last year's National League Championship Series. The three-time MVP, who also had left shoulder surgery in the offseason, was batting .304 with 31 RBIs and a 1.053 OPS. He was leading the big leagues in runs with 52.
In other news, Roberts said right-hander Tyler Glasnow felt great after throwing 16 or 19 pitches Friday in his first bullpen session since going on the injured list April 28.
“Don’t know what that means as far as velocity, but I know he was getting after it pretty good,” Roberts said.
Glasnow (right shoulder inflammation) is one of 14 Dodgers pitchers on the IL.
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