Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani throws first pitches off mound after UCL surgery

One day after he made history with a wild walk-off grand slam, Shohei Ohtani returned to the mound.

Ohtani threw 10 pitches in the bullpen at Dodger Stadium ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers' game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon. While the session was brief, it marked Ohtani’s first from the mound since his elbow surgery last fall.

Ohtani underwent surgery to repair the torn UCL in his pitching elbow in September, and he's not expected to pitch again until next season. Ohtani had a 10-5 record in 23 starts and held a 3.14 ERA in 132 innings pitched in his last season on the mound in 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels. He signed a record 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers in December, and he's been hitting for the team while he recovers and prepares to pitch again next season.

That part of his season has gone incredibly well and made him the overwhelming favorite to win MVP honors in the National League. Ohtani became the fastest player in Major League Baseball history to join the 40-40 club on Friday night after he hit a walk-off grand slam to beat the Rays at Dodger Stadium. He's just the sixth player in league history to record 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single season, and he beat them all by more than three weeks. He entered Saturday's game batting .292 with a .992 OPS. Only Aaron Judge has hit more home runs than Ohtani this season, and only Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz has stolen more bases.

Ohtani then hit his 41st home run of the season in the fifth inning on Saturday night, which suddenly put the Dodgers up by a run. At 338 feet, the home run was remarkably the shortest of his career.

The Dodgers entered Saturday’s game against the Rays on a five-game win streak and with a 77-52 record, which has them in a 3.5-game lead in the NL West.

While it will still be a while before Ohtani takes the mound, and it’s unclear if he will have any restrictions early on when he does so, Saturday’s trip to the bullpen marked yet another big step in his recovery.