When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani, they knew they were getting one of the most dynamic hitters in baseball.
His first season has done nothing but affirm that belief, with Ohtani joining the 40-40 club over the weekend and having an outside chance at becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season.
They also knew they would have to wait for Ohtani to become a weapon on the pitcher’s mound, where he has compiled a 38-19 record over 86 starts with a 3.01 earned run average, while he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
Saturday, Ohtani took a big step forward in his rehab by throwing off a mound for the first time. He threw 10 pitchers in the Dodgers’ bullpen at Dodger Stadium.
Ohtani underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right arm last September. The injury caused him to miss the end of last season but didn’t diminish his value in free agency, as the Dodgers signed him to a $700 million contract in December.
The initial plan was for him to begin throwing off the mound in September, so it looks like Ohtani is slightly ahead of schedule.
General Manager Brandon Gomes says that Ohtani will not pitch in a game this season, no matter how quickly he progresses.
That means the Dodgers must make do with Ohtani as the centerpiece of their offense. Heading into Monday’s action, he’s slashing .292/.615/.994, and leading the National League in home runs (41) and RBI (94).
