Are you also excited to see Shohei Ohtani on the mound? Well, hold your horses, because that might take some time. On the 15th of February, everyone had their eyes on just one person—Shohei Ohtani. The two-way phenom was at the stadium living up to his two-way name. His first official bullpen session? Fastballs were thrown towards catcher Will Smith.

Seeing how his balls went between 92 and 94 mph, Ohtani does need some more practice, and he has all the time to do so. The 30-year-old player has been given ample time to get ready and the choice of returning to the mound whenever he feels comfortable. It’ll be fun to see Ohtani both pitch and hit this season and maybe in the same game too!

According to a video broadcasted by Sportsnet LA, reporters surrounded Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and asked him about Shohei Ohtani’s recovery and journey back to the mound. Friedman said. “Well, we’re going to go through his progression and be able to read and react. It’s not something that we are going to set like an arbitrary date.”

“We’re just going to let him continue his progression and watch how he’s recovering. I’m sure that it will continue to be as good as it’s been.” Friedman further added that the dates when Shohei Ohtani will pitch will kind of fall out of that process as opposed to the team having a target date.

One of the reporters also asked the Dodgers president whether the two-way phenom will hit and pitch in the same games this year. And the answer was a solid yes! Friedman expressed his admiration for the Dodgers player who has had two Tommy John surgeries till now. Coming back from that is very hard, according to Friedman, and Shohei Ohtani has done just that!

Has Ohtani recovered fully from his second Tommy John surgery? 

In a season filled with excitement, the Los Angeles Dodgers took home the 2024 championship, and one man, in particular, stood out like a shining star: Shohei Ohtani. The two-way phenom crushed a league-leading 54 home runs, leading his team to victory. And all this, mind you, while pushing through the pain of a shoulder injury that was far from minor.

It’s been a whirlwind for Ohtani, who’s fresh off arthroscopic surgery last November to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder (his non-throwing arm, thank goodness). Spring training in 2025 has come around, and while he’s back on the field, Ohtani admits he’s not quite at 100%. 

“I do feel like there’s some discomfort that I have to still overcome,” Ohtani shared in a candid chat with The Los Angeles Times, via an interpreter. “But it’s not really debilitating. Just a limited range of motion. I’ve gone through it with the elbow before. With the shoulder, it’s a little bit more complicated. I do believe that’s the part that I have to be patient with.” Will this injury slow down the superstar? Probably not. Ohtani’s got this.