Dodgers' Dave Roberts Surprised With How Good Shohei Ohtani's Pitching Already Looks
Briefly

The offseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers saw the addition of Shohei Ohtani, who became a key player with a record-setting offensive performance in 2024. Recovering from UCL surgery, Ohtani focused solely on hitting, achieving an impressive milestone of hitting over 50 home runs and stealing over 50 bases in a season. Manager Dave Roberts noted Ohtani's quick recovery and understanding of the ongoing process as he prepares to return to pitching. Ohtani's return could further solidify the Dodgers' status as defending champions, giving them a unique competitive edge.
Ohtani is ramping up his return to the mound by throwing bullpen sessions and working on a May return to pitching. Manager Dave Roberts spoke on if Ohtani has surprised the organization with his recovery so far this spring."Yes, given who the player is and who the person is," Roberts said, "but there's still a process that we are going through. He just understands that we've got a long season to go, so he's sort of bought into whatever we need from him. "But very surprised how quick it's gone and seeing this is great."
The rare greatness that was seen in his first of 10 seasons with the Dodgers is only scratching the surface. More news: Dodgers' Dave Roberts Shockingly Ranked as 9th-Best Manager by MLB Network Analyst Ohtani is ramping up his return to the mound by throwing bullpen sessions and working on a May return to pitching.
It is hard to imagine that the reigning National League MVP, who became the first player ever to hit over 50 home runs and steal over 50 stolen bases in the same season, still has a whole other facet of his game to unlock with his new team. After his arrival with the Dodgers - and the signing of his 10-year, $700 million blockbuster deal last offseason - it was known that the two-way star would only be hitting in 2024.
Ohtani furthering his baseball legacy to make a return to the bump is going to give the defending champions an edge that nobody else has.
Read at Dodgers Nation
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