Shohei Ohtani returned to the mound on Sunday, facing hitters for the first time in nearly two years. The session took place at Citi Field, where he threw 22 pitches against Dodgers utility man Hyeseong Kim, catcher Dalton Rushing, and game-planning and communication coach J.T. Watkins.
Significance of the Outing
Ohtani’s outing was a significant milestone in his recovery from his second elbow reconstruction surgery within six years. He underwent Tommy John surgery last August after experiencing elbow pain while pitching for the Los Angeles Angels.
Batting Practice Highlights
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First Batter: J.T. Watkins
- Ohtani faced Watkins, who swung at three of Ohtani’s first four pitches.
- Watkins missed a fourth pitch that was high and outside.
- He swung at an off-speed pitch that dropped into the strike zone but missed again.
- On his fifth pitch, Ohtani issued a walk by throwing a ball outside the strike zone, marking one of only two balls thrown during the session.
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Second Batter: Hyeseong Kim
- Kim faced five pitches from Ohtani.
- He hit a ground ball back to Ohtani on the fifth pitch.
- The ball came back quickly enough that it would have been possible for Ohtani to throw out Kim if this were an actual game situation.
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Third Batter: Dalton Rushing
- Rushing faced four pitches from Ohtani.
- He swung at an off-speed offering that dropped into the strike zone but missed.
- Rushing then swung wildly at another off-speed pitch, resulting in a strikeout.
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Watkins Returns
- Watkins returned to face Ohtani again after his earlier swings.
- This time, he saw three fastballs before swinging hard at another fastball, which sailed past him, giving Ohtani a total of two strikeouts against the three hitters combined during live batting practice.
Conclusion
Ohtani has made great progress towards returning to full health following his recent injury and is expected to be ready for opening day next season!
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