Dodgers Make Massive Shohei Ohtani Pitching Announcement

Ohtani returned to the mound for the first time since 2023 on Monday against the San Diego Padres, making his first pitching appearance for the Dodgers. The right-hander suffered a UCL tear in 2023 which required surgery, keeping him from pitching in a live game for nearly two years.

He served as an opener in his return appearance and allowed one run on two hits during the outing. He threw 28 pitches for 16 strikes, and his fastball topped out at 100.2 miles per hour.

While it wasn't the perfect start for the reigning MVP, he still showed flashes of what he brought before his injury which is a good sign for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers went on to win the game in which Ohtani started, exploding for a five-run fourth inning after Ohtani brought them level in the bottom of the third with a two-out double. They secured the series win against the Padres Wednesday night with a 4-3 win.

Ohtani will face a Nationals team which has lost 11 in a row as of Wednesday and currently rank 21st in the league in wRC+.

Along with his return to the mound, Ohtani's offensive numbers this season have been nothing short of amazing.

His 25 home runs comfortably lead the National League, as does his 1.013 OPS. His 73 runs scored lead MLB, and his 182 total bases trail only Aaron Judge this season.

The 1,398,771 All-Star votes he accrued as of June 16 are the most among any National League player, and he seems well on his way to locking up a third-consecutive MVP award.

The Dodgers will hope for his pitching to progress and for his hitting to remain elite as they continue to run away with the NL West. They were tied at the top of the division with the San Francisco Giants after June 13, but have won five straight since, and now lead them by 4.5 games.

The Padres began the series three games behind the Dodgers, but are now six games out and face a series sweep in the final game of the series Thursday at 7:10 p.m. PT.