Shohei throws off mound in Dodger blue with 2-way return in sight
Sonja Chen
@sonjamchenGLENDALE, Ariz. -- Considering that he's spent the offseason rehabbing both arms, Shohei Ohtani appears to be in fine form with Spring Training officially underway.
The Dodgers shared a video on social media of Ohtani throwing off a mound on Monday, the club's report date for pitchers and catchers ahead of Tuesday's first workout. Videos of Ohtani throwing had circulated online throughout the offseason, but this is the first time the team has shown the progress Ohtani has made.
Ohtani is slated to return as a two-way player for the first time since joining the Dodgers. He missed all of 2024 as a pitcher after undergoing surgery to repair his right ulnar collateral ligament in September '23. Ohtani had progressed to the point of throwing off the mound last August, but his offseason work was delayed by left shoulder labrum surgery in November.
Speaking at DodgerFest on Feb. 1, Ohtani said via interpreter Will Ireton that he's "on schedule" with his rehab. He began an offseason throwing program in December and has since resumed hitting, with the expectation that he will be ready as a hitter on Opening Day and as a pitcher sometime in May.
How Ohtani's rehab -- and subsequent return to two-way superstardom -- plays out is one of the biggest storylines to watch for the Dodgers this spring. Ohtani set the bar high with his first year in Dodger Blue, putting together an unprecedented power-speed season by creating the 50-50 club and winning his third unanimous MVP Award, this one solely as a designated hitter.
There's uncertainty that Ohtani will be able to perform at the same elite level as a two-way player, especially because the 2023 UCL repair was his second major surgery on his right elbow -- he had Tommy John surgery as a Major League rookie in '18. As the Dodgers saw with Walker Buehler, who had two Tommy John surgeries, it can take ample time to get back to normal, even once fully healthy.
Early reports, though, have been good so far, with manager Dave Roberts remarking at DodgerFest that ¡°you just wouldn¡¯t think that there was any surgery this past winter,¡± after seeing video of Ohtani swinging this offseason.
And now, the long wait to see Ohtani pitch in a Dodgers uniform is nearing an end.