Shohei Ohtani takes 'big step' in latest Dodgers bullpen

One of the biggest questions for the Los Angeles Dodgers entering this season is exactly how big of a role Shohei Ohtani will play on the mound for the defending world champions.

However, reports after Ohtani's bullpen on Saturday put the reigning National League Most Valuable Player not only on track to return to the rotation in 2025 but also be yet another lethal weapon for the Dodgers.

On Saturday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani reached as high as 95 mph during his 25-pitch bullpen session. While the velocity uptick is a welcome sign for Ohtani's return, Roberts added that the right-hander threw cutters as well, calling the addition of that pitch "a big step."

When Ohtani last pitched for the Los Angeles Angels during the 2023 season before undergoing surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), the cutter was Ohtani's third-most thrown pitch, coming toward the batter 15.7 percent of the time. In the 329 cutters he threw in 2023 (per Baseball Savant), hitters fared well against the pitch, hitting a combined .310, the highest batting average against any of Ohtani's pitches.

While the pitch may not have been overly effective before the surgery, Ohtani's ability to add it back into the mix speaks to the overall health of his arm and the progression he is making on his way back to the mound.

Previous timelines have put Ohtani's return to pitching sometime in May, with the Dodgers expected to continue to use him as the team's designated hitter. That is a position where he excelled last season, becoming the first MLB player to hit more than 50 home runs and steal more than 50 bases in a single campaign.

Not only is Ohtani's return to the mound after his elbow surgery something to watch, but his return to the plate after offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum is worth watching as well. How will the Dodgers balance having Ohtani in the lineup every day versus what is needed to build his pitch count to the level needed to start? While some questions are being answered early this spring, others will take more time to develop.