Shohei Ohtani is recovering from surgeries on his shoulder and elbow. Despite being limited to a designated hitter role for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he aims to return to pitching by May. His recent bullpen session showed promising results, as he recorded fastball speeds of 92-94 mph without max effort. Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts expressed confidence in Ohtani's progress. The team plans to initially operate with a five-man rotation as they prepare for Ohtani's return, which will further enhance their pitching depth.
"I thought it was great," Roberts said. "Just kind of seeing his delivery, which was really good, the clean arm stroke. ... Gosh, the velocity, the ball was coming out really good. I think he seems pretty pleased with it, and the command was really good. So really positive."
Ohtani's bullpen session is a notable step forward in his rehab, and if he continues to progress well, the next step should be facing hitters at some point this Spring.
The Dodgers are expecting to run a traditional five-man rotation, creating a competitive environment for the other pitchers until Ohtani's return.
Roberts also added that Ohtani was sitting around 92-94 mph with his fastball, a number that presents a lot of encouragement as he was not using max effort.
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