One of many largest questions for the Los Angeles Dodgers getting into this season is precisely how huge of a job Shohei Ohtani will play on the mound for the defending world champions.
Nevertheless, studies after Ohtani’s bullpen on Saturday put the reigning Nationwide League Most Precious Participant not solely on monitor to return to the rotation in 2025 but additionally be one more deadly weapon for the Dodgers.
On Saturday, Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts instructed reporters that Ohtani reached as excessive as 95 mph throughout his 25-pitch bullpen session. Whereas the rate uptick is a welcome signal for Ohtani’s return, Roberts added that the right-hander threw cutters as properly, calling the addition of that pitch “an enormous step.”
When Ohtani final pitched for the Los Angeles Angels in the course of the 2023 season earlier than present process surgical procedure on his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), the cutter was Ohtani’s third-most thrown pitch, coming towards the batter 15.7 p.c of the time. Within the 329 cutters he threw in 2023 (per Baseball Savant), hitters fared properly towards the pitch, hitting a mixed .310, the very best batting common towards any of Ohtani’s pitches.
Whereas the pitch might not have been overly efficient earlier than the surgical procedure, Ohtani’s capability so as to add it again into the combo speaks to the general well being of his arm and the development he’s making on his approach again to the mound.
Earlier timelines have put Ohtani’s return to pitching someday in Could, with the Dodgers anticipated to proceed to make use of him because the workforce’s designated hitter. That may be a place the place he excelled final season, changing into the primary MLB participant to hit greater than 50 dwelling runs and steal greater than 50 bases in a single marketing campaign.
Not solely is Ohtani’s return to the mound after his elbow surgical procedure one thing to look at, however his return to the plate after offseason surgical procedure to restore a torn labrum is value watching as properly. How will the Dodgers steadiness having Ohtani within the lineup every single day versus what is required to construct his pitch rely to the extent wanted to start out? Whereas some questions are being answered early this spring, others will take extra time to develop.
