Dodgers phenom Shohei Ohtani just took the first major step towards his anticipated return to pitching next season. As noted by The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, Ohtani threw off the mound for the first time since he underwent elbow surgery just over eleven months ago. While today’s ten-pitch bullpen session won’t change the fact that Ohtani isn’t going to pitch in the majors this year, it’s the latest indicator that the league’s biggest star is well on his way to returning to two-way play in time for the Dodgers to open the 2025 regular season with a two-game set against the Cubs in Japan next year.
While Ohtani won’t throw an official pitch for the Dodgers in the first year of his record-shattering ten-year deal with the club, that hasn’t stopped the 30-year-old from being a dominant force for the club as they head for their 12th-consecutive playoff appearance. Ohtani is currently the consensus favorite for this year’s NL MVP award, which would be the third MVP of his career after he captured the AL MVP award in both 2021 and 2023 with the Angels. In 126 games with the Dodgers this year, Ohtani has slashed an incredible .292/.378/.614 (170 wRC+) across 578 trips to the plate. He became just the sixth player in MLB history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season last night, joining Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, and Ronald Acuna Jr.
That dominant offensive performance has allowed Ohtani to emerge as the most consistent threat in a star-studded Dodgers lineup. That’s thanks in part to his sturdiness; while fellow superstars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have both missed time this year, Ohtani has appeared in 126 of the Dodgers’ 129 games, leaving him tied with Teoscar Hernandez for the club lead in games played this year. With the surging Diamondbacks and Padres sitting just 3.5 and 4.5 games back respectively of L.A. in the race of the NL West, the Dodgers figure to continue leaning on Ohtani to lead their offense to their 11th NL West title in the past 12 years.
More from the Dodgers…
- While Ohtani sets his sights on returning to the mound in 2025, his fellow nine-figure free agent addition from this past offseason is hoping to pitch in the majors much sooner than that. Right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto is making significant progress toward a return to action after being sidelined by a rotator cuff strain back in June. According to MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, Yamamoto threw a two-inning simulated game earlier this week and is scheduled to throw his next bullpen session on Monday. Should that session go well, manager Dave Roberts indicated to reporters yesterday that Yamamoto would be in line to begin a rehab assignment this coming Wednesday. The 25-year-old righty was as-advertised in 14 starts prior to the injury this year with a 2.92 ERA and 2.68 FIP with an excellent 27.9% strikeout rate in 74 innings of work to this point in his big league career. [UPDATE: Roberts said on Sunday that Yamamoto will indeed start his rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.]
- The future is significantly murkier regarding the Dodgers’ third major offseason addition, however, as manager Dave Roberts today described the rehab plan for right-hander Tyler Glasnow as a “slow process” to reporters (including Ardaya). The righty was placed on the 15-day injured list just last week due to elbow tendinitis and while Roberts relayed that he has already resumed playing catch from 60 feet, he did not provide a timeline for the hard-throwing ace’s return to action beyond saying that Glasnow’s regular season is not in jeopardy as things stand. With the Dodgers extremely well-positioned for a postseason berth headed into the regular season’s final month, it’s not necessarily a shock that the club would be extremely careful with the 31-year-old in hopes of ensuring his healthy return for the playoffs this October.
So, there was never a 40/40 season before the steroid era, and then suddenly four players accomplished it, three of whom are inarguably beneficiaries of performance enhancing drugs. Then it happens twice more two decades later.
I’m not insinuating that Soriano, Ohtani or Freeman were using PEDs. I’m suggesting that there may have been some change to training or technique that occurred concomitantly with the PED era—perhaps as a consequence or perhaps independently—which allowed this feat to be repeated several more times after never before occurring in the history of the sport.
Launch angles and better swingpaths lead to more hits and homers. Nowadays you don’t see as many players hunched over in the batters box using only their arms for power and lift, now players know how to use their legs to generate power.
this is correct. Also do you expect players to get worse when compared to 50 years ago, steroids or not?
Launch angles definitely don’t lead to more hits. While home runs have gone up, run scored and hits have plummeted.
@Mets no runs scored have not plummeted. They re actually slightly above average historically. Except for in relation to mid 1920’s- 1940. And both this season and last were higher than all but one season during the 80’s.
baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/bat.shtml
The only seasons that were lower were was because baseball raised the mound to give pitchers an unnatural advantage. Baseball knows this and has changed the rules the las few years to combat the moronic effects of Sabre metrics by banning shifts, adding pitch clocks, making it easier to steal bases, and trying to get back to the designed game of baseball. Of course the runs scored has gone up the last couple years. The league has changed the rules to make it happen.
Aside from 2022 the years prior runs were even higher. But ok, let’s just ignore the facts that are right there.
Baby – Using legs to generate power has been common for more than 60 years, with both hitters and pitchers. The shift in weight generates momentum, that’s not something that advanced analytics suddenly “discovered”.
Sorry but it cracks me up how some people try to give analytics credit for everything these days. They also do it with pitchers, claiming that analytics has made pitching the best it’s ever been.
Well, if that’s the case then why hasn’t there been a noticeable increase or decrease in offense over the years?
It’s probably due to a few factors like you mention, improved training, improved diet, supplements, steroids, manfred juicing the ball like he did for Judge a couple years ago.
The greatest single factor is the world population continues growing while the barrier to entry to playing MLB keeps lowering. MLB has far better reach today than ever before for talent-seeking. With expansion teams and increased roster size, there’s more opportunity for talent to hone and showcase their abilities.
YBC – That’s true for both hitters and pitchers, which means the impact those changes made on the game would be negligible.
Manfred – Seems like you’re not aware, there’s been several rules changes that have made stealing bases much easier.
1) Bases are much larger
2) Pitchers are now limited to the number of times they can throw to a base to keep a runner close
3) Players now use oven mitts which not only protect them on headfirst slides, but also make it easier to reach bases on slides
Last year wasn’t the first time Acuna hit 41 homeruns, but it was the first time he stole more than 37 bases.
This year won’t be the first time Ohtani hits at least 44 homeruns, but it’s the first time he’s stolen more than 26 bases.
And your accusation that MLB has somehow managed to use juiced balls with only Judge plate appearances? Definitely one of the craziest conspiracy theories I’ve ever heard.
Just curious … how much money are all the ballboys getting paid to hand umpires the “special” balls right before every Judge at bat?
Fever, I’ve heard this conspiracy theory before but it was that in 2022 Yankee Stadium had a completely different ball that was used. Not specifically a ball for Judge, but a special ball everyone playing in Yankee Stadium got to use (Judge being the biggest beneficiary, supposedly).
Ignorant – I heard that conspiracy too, but it is proven false by many facts.
1) No other Yankee saw his HR numbers spike that year.
2) Judge hit more homeruns on the road that year
3) Yankee Stadium HR Park Factor that year was 3rd in MLB …. same as 2023 …. and same as this year.
@Fever, MLB could have easily controlled balls both Home and Away. With how often ball is swapped out could easily have only let primarily Judge benefit. Doing so would also help to try and mask it, feeding more meatballs on the road and that no other #s soared to anywhere near his heights.
As far as the SBs, they without a doubt are much easier to accumulate and at a higher success rate. Which by all means cheapens the luster of 40/40 to some extent.
Now normally I’m not one for conspiracy type things. But the simple fact that MLB allows such a wide variance in ball specs is extremely suspect.
With the volume of baseballs produced each year they could easily cherry pick the tiny fraction allocated to MLB at a more uniform standard. On top of that most who have worked in manufacturing likely would or were quite surprised reading the variances tolerated by MLB. On a daily basis countless manufactures are holding way tighter tolerances in microns on parts and components way more complex then a baseball.
The fact that they allow that variance is just a huge red flag to me. An industry with as much revenue and profits as MLB has no excuse to have a deviation in quality akin to goods made in the 70s.
We also know MLB is quite familiar with the boost in revenue and ratings HR chases generate. McGwire and Sosa’a chase was an enormous boon for MLB.
Nerd – You have way too much false statements in your post. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt that perhaps part of your problem is difficulty with comprehension and relaying your thoughts in a clear concise manner. So I will help you here.
Three different baseballs were used during the 2022 season. Leftover 2021 mass production balls, 2022 mass production balls, and Goldilocks commemorative balls. Yes the commemorative balls were used in Yankee games as he approached the record, which is SOP for authenticating whenever a player approaches a huge milestone. And oh by the way, the Goldilocks balls were also discovered in Anaheim that year. Go figure. And they were used in Arlington, didn’t help them much now did it.
But those Goldilocks balls were NOT used exclusively for Judge all season as you claim. And I provided THREE sets of concrete facts that prove it.
As for your claims about me supporting PED users, that is a horrific lie. I’ve come down on more players for PED usage than anyone. I have even said numerous times Ortiz likely used something for at least part of his career, and I’m a Sox fan and Ortiz fan.
So stop lying and try critical thinking for once.
Here’s the article about Dr. Wills’ findings about 2022 baseballs:
businessinsider.com/mlb-used-third-baseball-home-r…
Here’s the article about Dr. Wills’ findings about 2021 baseballs:
businessinsider.com/mlb-used-two-different-balls-i…
@Crypto As far as there being a variance in specifications and also 3 types of balls with separate variances for specifications, no its no a conspiracy theory. We know it is fact.
What is uncertain is if MLB allocated balls in a way that they could influence outcome of different games. Or if the roughly 90-120 different balls used per game should also be under question.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_(ball)
As far as the variation allowed for each type of ball to meet specifications, it’s inexcusable with the technology available. The #s look insignificant at quick glance or to those unfamiliar with manufacturing or quality control in tangible goods.
The wide tolerance given is eye popping to anyone who is familiar with today’s quality control, gaging, and error proofing. Automotive and Aerospace parts and components run with a fraction of those specs on countless parts especially Delta items(federally regulated safety features). And they do so often in quite large volumes.
To me it seems very suspect and their is clear financial gain that can be had with the lack of uniformity. Which numerous players have also complained about. Many pitchers claim to have been able to feel a difference in balls from game to game.
Well Ohtani only got it because of the pickup rule changes…. Any SB numbers after 2022 cannot be compared to any before that. It’s apples and oranges. Also Freddie freeman has never had a 40/40 season or anywhere close?
Next member: Elly De La Cruz
Lindor has an outside chance this year.
Jackson Chourio is a good dark horse bet for 40/40 in 2025.
Travis – Thank you for bringing some sanity after several insane comments from others!
I mean, it kinda has to do with the players in question. Ohtani is a freak of nature generational type talent. Acuña, for his part, nearly got there in 2019 too, and part of the oddness of 40-40 is the fact that many have gotten close in the past but missed. I mean, if a guy like Willie Mays (nearly missed a few times I think) did it, we’d probably view the club a whole different way.
Dark – In 2019 Acuna led the league in SB with 37.
And last year he led the league with 73.
That shows how much easier it is to steal bases now with the rules changes.
Concomitantly? Word of the day. More a medicinal word I think but good work!
bcjd – Your post is confusing. Why do you bring up Freeman? He’s not one of the 6 players to achieve 40/40.
“claiming that analytics has made pitching the best it’s ever been.
Well, if that’s the case then why hasn’t there been a noticeable increase or decrease in offense over the years”
There are 2 options, one of which people like the one I’m quoting ignore (or don’t conceive of.
1) neither pitching nor hitting are better
2) both pitching and hitting are better.
People should read Big Data Baseball by Travis Sawchik. Especially people with these kinds of questions. It talks about the mid-teens Pirates teams and how they focused on two-seam fastball pitchers to generate groundballs and placing their infielders in the best positions to gobble those groundballs up.
Then, how more teams emulated that defensive approach. And how offenses countered – out with the level swing path and in with elevate and celebrate.
Pitching is better. So is hitting.
Rule changes on the mound (pickoffs), clocks, base changes, catchers sitting on one knee will help with the steals.
Arm protectors, balls thrown fast, pitchers constantly having their hands checked for substances, park sizes while hitters continue to gain in size, and constant checking of iPads will help the hitting.
Had all this taken place 40 years ago we would have more 40-40 guys. Vlad Sr, Eric Davis, Darryl Strawberry, more from Bonds.
I don’t count Barry Bonds in regards to any records except maybe record head growth.
Freeman?
I think he meant Acuna
If Manfred forces starters to go 6, the Dodgers staff’s arms might fall off. They can barely keep enough pitchers healthy as it is. Maybe teams will go to a 6 man rotation to compensate, similar to the schedule in Japan
That will never happen
“MLB announces 28-man rosters.”
They change rules like a kid eats candy. I would never say it’ll never happen.
In order to implement a mandatory 6-inning rule, managers will have to be mathematical geniuses. Six innings unless they throw a certain number of pitches, give up a certain number of runs, get hurt and it can be proven and they’re put on the DL, etc., etc. Teams would need a manager and another manager just to handle starting pitchers. I wouldn’t sweat this rule getting passed.
lowenstein,
Yeah, addition sure is complicated math.
Ohtani keeps making baseball history on his way to what will probably be another MVP season.
Wow so clever and hilarious, so original man you got me cracking up, definitely not the most overused joke of the year definitely not
I hope your epitaph and or eulogy has a reminder of everything you were ever accused of but were never proved of.
Safe to say “critical thinker” will be omitted?
Never accused of. Fixed that for you.
The greatest ball player any of us are likely to see, and this is the crap we hear. Some people are just sick in the head. They sure aren’t baseball fans.
You mean the greatest contract ever signed in sports history ever by any team in any sport? The only contract with $1B in SURPLUS value?
That contract by its lonesome is worth more than the Marlins
That last line reflects the sad state of revenue disparity in the sport, and I bet you didn’t even realize it.
So there have only been two legit 40-40 guys and both within the last few years. Interesting.
This niche of hitting and pitching might help in the postseason yet in the regular season its useless. I mean last year didnt pitch the last month and a half and he didnt hit a HR after the first week of August and was hurt to end the last season. Corey Seager should have won yet they gave it to a gambler instead. That unicorn talent couldn’t even get his team .500 all those years.
He’ll win the award being a glorified DH with three future HOF hitting around him. While Aaron Judge is carrying his team Ohtani lucky Betts goty hurt and I I rather have Elly.
I do have questions whether a DH-only should ever win a MVP. I think if it’s close, the guy who plays the field everyday should get it.
Isiab
” do have questions whether a DH-only should ever win a MVP. I think if it’s close, the guy who plays the field everyday should get it.”.
I think the most valuable player should get it
Whether they hit only, hit and play a defensive position, hit and pitch (which is, to be clear, a defensive position), or just hit.
There is a stat being used more recently, WPA or Win Percent Added, that tries to measure the impact a player has to each win (not sure I am explaining it precisely) but it could be useful to look at in these close MVP races. For instance the leaders right now are Soto 4.99, Profar 4.67, Judge 4.55, Witt 4.34, and Ohtani 3.9.
Ignorant.
Win PROVABILITY Added. Yes
If you want to are the Most Valuable PLAYER based, in large part, on that their teammates did, then, sure, that makes sense.
Haha we both got it wrong it’s “win probability added”…still not sure how to explain it though, like in Soto’s WPA of 4.99 is that saying he contributes 4.99% to each win, or that his contributions lead to a 4.99% increase in his team winning, or something else?
Ignorant
Well, I had a typo, yes.
I’m well aware of what WPA is.
WPA uses win expectancy based on game state (score, runners, inning, outs). So, to use a recent relevant example, 2 days ago the Dodgers and Rays were tied 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and two outs. Their Win Probability was about 65%. Ohtani homered and the Dodgers’ Win Probability was 100%. Ohtani added (100-65) 35%. Do that for every plate appearance and add them all up and you get WPA.
The reason I don’t want to use it for MVP is that it required the three batters to get on base before Ohtani. A great player on a bad team won’t be able to add that much Win Probability because the team won’t win very much. Not because the player isn’t awesome, but because their teammates aren’t.
You actually don’t know how hitters benefit from having good hitters around them wow talk about dumb if a great hitter doesn’t have a good supporting cast he won’t get good pitches to hit because pitchers will pitch around him and walk him more often duh
I’m not debating Ohtani’s MVP merits. Having someone who can play the both sides of the ball very well gives a team a great advantage of roster flexibility.
Adrianna,
The feds investigated and found nothing on Ohtani, so calling him to a gambler is willfully ignorant.
You’d rather have Elly? To each their own, I suppose…
Of course you would rather have Elly, dear. Bless your heart.
Is it conceivable for Ohtani to go on the mound to face a batter for one out in the playoffs?
To quote Vizzini: “Inconceivable!”
Acuna would have it twice except for injury in 2019.
Ohtani is a great player-respect. However, it makes it easier from a hitting perspective when you have guys hitting around you like Freeman, Betts, & Smith.
He’s put up similar numbers without guys like that in the lineup around him. I think he could do it either way. More impressive if he’s also pitching or always in the field as well.
Fred, so now Ohtani is being carried?
Ignorant
“makes it easier from a hitting perspective when you have guys hitting around you like Freeman, Betts, & Smith”
How? I mean, you get more plate appearances, so, that helps
Haters going to hate because they hate life and themselves.
Ohtani Rose
Mercenary Ignoramus
I realize it happened after most of the country was asleep, but it should be mentioned that Ohtani joined the 40-40 club in one game, and the home run was a walk off grand slam. Might be of more interest than 10 pitches in a practice session.
BSLA
But not really under the purvey of this site
This site mentions player accomplishments often, including this one. They just chose to omit the most remarkable details about it. So no excuse, really.
Poor johnny utah. Sad little puppy hating all those who accomplished stuff, whereas his accomplishments ended in grammar school. What must it be like to be on the bottom of the 330 million person barrel. More disturbing is who are the ten posters who gave him upvotes?
Well, we found one of the morons that agrees with johnny utah. Thanks for self identifying, 41.
@Johnny
Project much? It’s where you project your own mental illness or degeneracy on others as a way to avoid dealing with your own deviance.