LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani has already carried out some mind-boggling issues in a Dodgers uniform. However for his first yr and alter in L.A., he was on a protracted highway to restoration that prevented him from doing the factor that actually makes him a “unicorn” amongst large leaguers: pitch.
Practically 22 months after making his earlier large league begin, 21 months after present process a second main surgical procedure on his proper elbow and 18 months after signing a then-record contract with the Dodgers, Ohtani made his extremely anticipated return to a giant league mound to start out Monday evening’s sequence opener in opposition to the Padres.
“I noticed it from the opposite facet, from afar, when he was with the Angels,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated beforehand. “So now, I believe I acquired the perfect seat in the home to look at this man begin after which take an at-bat. That is bananas.”
A Dodger Stadium that was already packed earlier than first pitch — with a whole lot of No. 17 jerseys within the crowd — definitely shared that sentiment. When Ohtani took the sector to start warming up, he acquired a giant ovation from followers, lots of whom alongside the left-field line remained on their ft till he moved into the house bullpen.
There was a fair larger roar when he jogged out to the mound to Michael Bublé’s “Feeling Good.”
Ohtani allowed back-to-back singles to Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arraez, then recorded his first out on his 18th pitch of the body — nevertheless it was a sacrifice fly for Manny Machado. Ohtani then induced groundouts from his subsequent two hitters to strand Arraez.
He threw 28 pitches (16 strikes) and hit 100.2 mph together with his four-seamer — which was tied with Michael Kopech for the Dodgers’ second-fastest pitch of the season, behind Roki Sasaki reaching 100.5. Fourteen of Ohtani’s pitches registered at or above 98 mph.
Then Ohtani walked off the mound, headed to the dugout and ready to steer off the underside of the primary. He struck out swinging in his first at-bat in opposition to Padres starter Dylan Stop.
Ohtani gave option to the bullpen within the prime of the second, ending his first begin in a Dodgers uniform after one inning. Coming into the day, Don Drysdale’s 29 homers had been essentially the most by a Dodger who had made not less than one begin on the mound. Ohtani, who has hit 79 profession homers with L.A., now sits atop that listing.
Monday marked the twelfth time he is batted within the leadoff spot and began a sport on the mound. He is simply the fourth beginning pitcher to bat leadoff since 1900, forming an unique membership with Cesar Tovar (Sept. 22, 1968), Al Darkish (Sept. 27, 1953) and Jim Jones (Sept. 30, 1901) — all of whom solely did so as soon as.
As Ohtani has stated, being a two-way participant is regular for him. He is constructed his adorned profession on being each a hitter and a pitcher. However there’s some novelty for each the Dodgers and their followers in seeing him as a completely actualized two-way participant.
The group has gained much more appreciation for the way particular Ohtani is after watching him work his approach again to the mound.
“I believe watching it from afar, after which final yr actually solely excited about what would come, it actually hit me in Arizona — he hits the house run, we win that evening, after which the subsequent day he’s throwing an up-down bullpen,” common supervisor Brandon Gomes stated. “I’m like, ‘That is inconceivable, proper?’ And it’s electrical stuff, and he’s speaking concerning the motion of his pitches. It’s thrilling from a baseball perspective, and we’re all followers as properly.”
