GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Shohei Ohtani reached back for the heater and found it, blazing a 99-mph fastball past Willy Adames for his first strikeout of the afternoon on Wednesday.
For a guy who hasn't spent much time on the mound over the past 2 1/2 years, he doesn't seem remotely rusty.
The Japanese two-way star was in top form during his spring training debut on the mound, giving up one hit, two walks and a hit by pitch
while striking out four over 4 1/3 scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants.
He threw 61 pitches, including 34 strikes.
“The stuff was really good — it's going to get more crisp as he gets out there and gets regular pitching,” manager Dave Roberts said. “But, man, it was really good. He knows he only has a couple outings before the start of the season, so he was focused. To have him touch the fifth inning was a huge win for us.”
Ohtani was unfazed by record-hot conditions in Arizona, needing just five pitches to breeze through the first inning as temperatures pushed 100 degrees at Camelback Ranch. In the second, he gave up a leadoff double to Heliot Ramos before retiring three straight, including Adames and and Will Brennan on strikeouts.
“I was pretty happy with the pitch count today,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “In terms of the next outing, I do want to be better at executing on two-strike counts. I just didn’t finish off hitters as much as I wanted.”
Ohtani threw some live batting practice sessions in Arizona with the Dodgers before joining Team Japan for the World Baseball Classic in early March. The four-time Most Valuable Player didn’t pitch in the WBC — playing solely as a designated hitter — but did throw off the mound in bullpen sessions.
This was his first time on the mound in a competitive setting since Game 7 of the World Series on Nov. 1.
Roberts said he expects Ohtani will get one more preseason start next week before the regular season starts on March 26.
Ohtani hopes to get through his first full season on the mound since 2022, when he 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts for the Los Angeles Angels. He injured his elbow late in the 2023 season which caused him to miss all of 2024 on the mound.
Ohtani returned to pitching midway through 2025 and had a 2.87 ERA over 14 regular-season starts. He also went 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA in the postseason, helping the Dodgers win their second straight World Series title.
The 31-year-old didn't hit on Wednesday, choosing to focus on pitching, especially on such a hot day. Roberts said he expects Ohtani to be the team's designated hitter on Friday against the Padres.
“He's already taken enough at-bats, so I don't think the at-bats are a concern,” Roberts said.
Ohtani recently returned to Dodgers camp at Camelback Ranch after Japan was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the WBC. He was 6-for-13 at the plate with three homers for Japan over five games.
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