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Tokyo Weekender
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Tokyo Weekender
Mixed Bag for Shohei Ohtani on Pitching Return
After almost two years away from the mound, Shohei Ohtani made his long-awaited pitching return on Monday evening to start the series opener against the Padres. Jogging out with Michael Bublé's 'Feeling Good' playing in the background, he received a huge ovation from the fans. His last MLB appearance on the mound was on August 22, 2023, against the Cincinnati Reds, when he retired due to arm fatigue after just 1.1 innings pitched. List of Contents: Ohtani Allows One Run on Pitching Return Ippei Mizuhara Reports to US Prison Related Posts Ohtani Allows One Run on Pitching Return The two-way superstar allowed back-to-back singles to Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arráez before Manny Machado hit a sacrifice fly to earn Tatis Jr. a run. Prior to that, he probably should have had a strikeout on Machado, who was ruled to have checked his swing on Ohtani's 1-2 sweeper. Ohtani threw 28 pitches — 16 for strikes — hitting 100.2 mph with his fourth seamer. He averaged 96.8 mph on nine fastballs. In the second inning, he was replaced by Anthony Banda. Rather than entering the dugout, Ohtani put on his batting gloves near the railing and walked to the on-deck circle to get ready to lead off the bottom of the inning. He struck out against Padres starter Dylan Cease. Ohtani is the first National League player to start a game as a pitcher and also bat in the leadoff spot since Alvin Dark of the New York Giants in 1953. In the third inning, Ohtani tied the score with an RBI double to left-center. He added another two-out hit as the Dodgers took a 6-2 lead in the fourth. Machado hit a leadoff homer in the sixth to reduce the deficit. There was no more scoring after that, though, as the National League West leaders won the game 6-3. Ippei Mizuhara Reports to US Prison On the same day that Ohtani made his pitching debut for the Dodgers, his former interpreter reported to federal prison in Pennsylvania. In February, Ippei Mizuhara was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for stealing close to $17 million from the Dodgers two-way global superstar to repay illegal gambling debts. He was also ordered to pay $18 million in restitution, with the majority going to Ohtani and $1.1 million to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Mizuhara is being held in a low-security prison in Allenwood. As he's not a US citizen, he's likely to be deported to Japan after completing his sentence. Between November 2021 and March 2024, the ex-interpreter misappropriated $16.59 million from one of Ohtani's accounts. He also stole baseball cards with the intention of reselling them and submitted a false tax return for 2022. Prosecutors claimed his motivation was 'greed' and 'not addiction.' Related Posts Shohei Ohtani Denies Any Involvement in Gambling Scandal Shohei Ohtani's Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara Fired After 'Massive Theft' Claim Ohtani Produces One of the Greatest Ever Individual MLB Performances
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Shohei Ohtani touches 100 mph in electric 2025 pitching debut for Dodgers
Image Source: Getty Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way superstar, returned to the mound in a thrilling performance on June 16, 2025, against the San Diego Padres. After nearly two years sidelined by elbow surgery, his electric pitching debut, reaching 100.2 mph, captivated fans. This article explores his triumphant return. Shohei Ohtani's blazing return to pitching Ohtani made his long-awaited pitching debut for the Dodgers at a sold-out Dodger Stadium and threw a 100.2 mph fastball. The 3 time MVP hadn't pitched since August 2023 due to a second elbow surgery and allowed 1 run on 2 hits in 1 inning. He was a bit wild, but his velocity was ridiculous with 14 pitches at 98 mph or higher. — Dodgers (@Dodgers) Fans went wild as he took the mound to Michael Bublé's 'Feeling Good' for his first Dodgers pitching appearance. Ohtani said he was nervous, but the game intensity made him throw harder than his target of 95-96 mph. He allowed singles to Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arraez and a sacrifice fly, but induced ground balls to get out of further trouble. His 28-pitch inning showed flashes of ace stuff and got the Dodgers fans excited. Also Read: "It's going to be really fun": Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw can't wait to see Shohei Ohtani pitch tonight against Padres A historic two-way performance Ohtani's return wasn't just about pitching; he also shone at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. After his inning on the mound, he immediately batted leadoff, striking out against Padres starter Dylan Cease but later hitting a game-tying double in the third. This marked the 12th time he's started as a pitcher and batted leadoff, a rare feat not seen since 1901 by any other player more than once. Ohtani's 79 career home runs with the Dodgers surpassed Don Drysdale's franchise record for a pitcher. His two-way ability, a hallmark of his 'unicorn' status, amazed teammates like Max Muncy, who noted the challenge of pitching and hitting in the same game. Ohtani plans to pitch weekly, aiming to increase his innings to ease the bullpen's load. With the Dodgers' rotation plagued by injuries, his return as a two-way player offers hope for a strong 2025 season.
Japan Today
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Japan Today
Ohtani makes his long-awaited return to mound after elbow surgery
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws to a San Diego Padres batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles on Monday. baseball By BETH HARRIS Shohei Ohtani gave up a pair of two-strike hits and a run in his Los Angeles Dodgers pitching debut against the San Diego Padres on Monday night, 21 months after the two-way superstar had elbow surgery. Ohtani threw 28 pitches — 16 for strikes — in the first inning as fans hung on every one of them. They oohed when a fastball was clocked at 100.2 mph — the second-hardest pitch thrown by a Dodgers hurler this season. Ohtani appeared to be laboring on the mound, his face sweaty. He warmed up to his usual music, Michael Bublé's version of 'Feeling Good.' After retiring Xander Bogaerts on a grounder for the third out, Ohtani walked over to an umpire who checked his hands and glove. He didn't enter the dugout. Instead, he put on his batting gloves and other equipment near the railing and walked to the on-deck circle to prepare to lead off the bottom of the inning. Ohtani struck out swinging against Padres starter Dylan Cease, but then tied the score at 1 with a run-scoring double to left-center in the third. The three-time MVP added a two-out RBI single that gave the Dodgers a 5-2 lead in the fourth on the way to a 6-3 victory. He finished 2 for 4 with a walk and two strikeouts at the plate. 'He's ready, he's adamant, he feels good, strong, ready to pitch a major league game,' Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said before the game. 'I think everyone in that clubhouse, I think the fans, media, we've been waiting for this moment.' Ohtani faced Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arráez, Manny Machado, Gavin Sheets and Bogaerts in the first. Tatis flared a single to center field and went to second on Ohtani's wild pitch. Arráez singled and Machado's sacrifice fly scored Tatis. Sheets and Bogaerts grounded out. That was it for Ohtani on the mound. Anthony Banda replaced him in the second. 'I think I got the best seat in the house to watch it and to watch this guy start and then take an at-bat,' Roberts said. 'This is bananas. I'm thrilled.' Major League Baseball made the game available for free on streaming site The Japanese right-hander was pitching in a big league game about three weeks after facing hitters in simulated at-bats for the first time. All the while, Ohtani was still wielding his powerful bat in the lineup for the NL West leaders. 'It got to the point where, hey, it feels like we should take that next step and almost look to finish the rehab at the major league level because of the taxing nature of what he was doing,' Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. Typically, pitchers returning from injuries go on minor league rehab assignments, but Ohtani is an exception. 'It's been really encouraging overall the way he's bounced back and been able to continue to feel good doing both,' Gomes said. Roberts said: "You've got to hear the player and trust the player.' Roberts briefly considered not having Ohtani bat leadoff, but the slugger assured his manager he was fine with it. 'It could change going forward,' Roberts said, 'but right now he feels very comfortable with taking the mound and coming in the dugout and getting on his stuff to go take an at-bat.' Gomes acknowledged the team is in a unique situation, trying to balance Ohtani's offensive prowess with his pitching ability while erring on the side of caution. 'We don't know how he's going to come out, if his legs are going to be tired. We have to make sure that we're also keeping one of our best hitters in the lineup,' Gomes said. 'It has to be an ongoing conversation and making sure that Shohei is the one driving this conversation.' The three-time MVP began the night batting .290 with 25 homers, which led the National League, 41 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in the leadoff spot. While Ohtani won't be throwing deep into games at first, just his presence on the mound figures to bolster a staff that has been decimated by injuries. The Dodgers have eight starters, including Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, and six relievers on the injured list. Roberts said he and the coaches would watch Ohtani's command, delivery, and ability to repeat his mechanics. 'Like he always does, he's going to give everything he has and we expect a high-quality outing,' Gomes said. Ohtani is already on the roster as the designated hitter, so the Dodgers are essentially adding an extra pitcher without having to make a corresponding roster move. 'It's not going to be a once-every-five-day situation, so there's going to be plenty of time to recover,' Roberts said. 'We also have the luxury of pitching him as much as we want as far as in a particular outing.' Ohtani helped the Dodgers win their eighth World Series title — and his first — last season, the first of a $700 million, 10-year contract. He earned his third MVP award and first in the National League. He hadn't pitched since 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels. He was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 23 starts that season. His last mound appearance was on Aug. 23, 2023, when he got hurt during an outing against Cincinnati. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery on Oct. 1, 2018, and is recovering from a second major operation on his right elbow Sept. 19, 2023. As a pitcher, he entered 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings during his major league career. 'The main goal is obviously to have him strong down the stretch run and through October,' Gomes said. Ohtani's pitching debut came on the same day his former interpreter reported to federal prison in Pennsylvania. Ippei Mizuhara received a nearly five-year sentence for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly $17 million from Ohtani. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
NBC News
17-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC News
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani makes long-awaited return to the mound after elbow surgery
Shohei Ohtani gave up a pair of two-strike hits and a run in his Los Angeles Dodgers pitching debut against the San Diego Padres on Monday night, 21 months after the two-way superstar had elbow surgery. Ohtani threw 28 pitches — 16 for strikes — in the first inning as fans hung on every one of them. They oohed when a fastball was clocked at 100.2 mph — the second-hardest pitch thrown by a Dodgers hurler this season. Ohtani appeared to be laboring on the mound, his face sweaty. He warmed up to his usual music, Michael Bublé's version of 'Feeling Good.' After retiring Xander Bogaerts on a grounder for the third out, Ohtani walked over to an umpire who checked his hands and glove. He didn't enter the dugout. Instead, he put on his batting gloves and other equipment near the railing and walked to the on-deck circle to prepare to lead off the bottom of the inning. Ohtani struck out swinging against Padres starter Dylan Cease, but then tied the score at 1 with an RBI double to left-center in the third. 'He's ready, he's adamant, he feels good, strong, ready to pitch a major league game,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game. 'I think everyone in that clubhouse, I think the fans, media, we've been waiting for this moment.' Ohtani faced Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arráez, Manny Machado, Gavin Sheets and Bogaerts in the first. Tatis flared a single to center field and went to second on Ohtani's wild pitch. Arráez singled and Machado's sacrifice fly scored Tatis. Sheets and Bogaerts grounded out. That was it for Ohtani on the mound. Anthony Banda replaced him in the second. 'I think I got the best seat in the house to watch it and to watch this guy start and then take an at-bat,' Roberts said. 'This is bananas. I'm thrilled.' Major League Baseball made the game available for free on streaming site The Japanese right-hander was pitching in a big league game about three weeks after facing hitters in simulated at-bats for the first time. All the while, Ohtani was still wielding his powerful bat in the lineup for the NL West leaders. 'It got to the point where, hey, it feels like we should take that next step and almost look to finish the rehab at the major league level because of the taxing nature of what he was doing,' Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. Typically, pitchers returning from injuries go on minor league rehab assignments, but Ohtani is an exception. 'It's been really encouraging overall the way he's bounced back and been able to continue to feel good doing both,' Gomes said. Roberts said: 'You've got to hear the player and trust the player.' Roberts briefly considered not having Ohtani bat leadoff, but the slugger assured his manager he was fine with it. 'It could change going forward,' Roberts said, 'but right now he feels very comfortable with taking the mound and coming in the dugout and getting on his stuff to go take an at-bat.' Gomes acknowledged the team is in a unique situation, trying to balance Ohtani's offensive prowess with his pitching ability while erring on the side of caution. 'We don't know how he's going to come out, if his legs are going to be tired. We have to make sure that we're also keeping one of our best hitters in the lineup,' Gomes said. 'It has to be an ongoing conversation and making sure that Shohei is the one driving this conversation.' The three-time MVP began the night batting .290 with 25 homers, which led the National League, 41 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in the leadoff spot. While Ohtani won't be throwing deep into games at first, just his presence on the mound figures to bolster a staff that has been decimated by injuries. The Dodgers have eight starters, including Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, and six relievers on the injured list. Roberts said he and the coaches would watch Ohtani's command, delivery, and ability to repeat his mechanics. 'Like he always does, he's going to give everything he has and we expect a high-quality outing,' Gomes said. Ohtani is already on the roster as the designated hitter, so the Dodgers are essentially adding an extra pitcher without having to make a corresponding roster move. 'It's not going to be a once-every-five-day situation, so there's going to be plenty of time to recover,' Roberts said. 'We also have the luxury of pitching him as much as we want as far as in a particular outing.' Ohtani helped the Dodgers win their eighth World Series title — and his first — last season, the first of a $700 million, 10-year contract. He earned his third MVP award and first in the National League. He hadn't pitched since 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels. He was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 23 starts that season. His last mound appearance was on Aug. 23, 2023, when he got hurt during an outing against Cincinnati. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery on Oct. 1, 2018, and is recovering from a second major operation on his right elbow Sept. 19, 2023. As a pitcher, he entered 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings during his major league career. 'The main goal is obviously to have him strong down the stretch run and through October,' Gomes said.
NBC Sports
17-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Sho-time at Dodger Stadium as Ohtani makes his long-awaited return to the mound after elbow surgery
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani gave up a pair of two-strike hits and a run in his Los Angeles Dodgers pitching debut against the San Diego Padres on Monday night, 21 months after the two-way superstar had elbow surgery. Ohtani threw 28 pitches — 16 for strikes — in the first inning as fans hung on every one of them. They oohed when a fastball was clocked at 100.2 mph — the second-hardest pitch thrown by a Dodgers hurler this season. Ohtani appeared to be laboring on the mound, his face sweaty. He warmed up to his usual music, Michael Bublé's version of 'Feeling Good.' After retiring Xander Bogaerts on a grounder for the third out, Ohtani walked over to an umpire who checked his hands and glove. He didn't enter the dugout. Instead, he put on his batting gloves and other equipment near the railing and walked to the on-deck circle to prepare to lead off the bottom of the inning. Ohtani struck out swinging against Padres starter Dylan Cease, but then tied the score at 1 with an RBI double to left-center in the third. 'He's ready, he's adamant, he feels good, strong, ready to pitch a major league game,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game. 'I think everyone in that clubhouse, I think the fans, media, we've been waiting for this moment.' Ohtani faced Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arráez, Manny Machado, Gavin Sheets and Bogaerts in the first. Tatis flared a single to center field and went to second on Ohtani's wild pitch. Arráez singled and Machado's sacrifice fly scored Tatis. Sheets and Bogaerts grounded out. That was it for Ohtani on the mound. Anthony Banda replaced him in the second. 'I think I got the best seat in the house to watch it and to watch this guy start and then take an at-bat,' Roberts said. 'This is bananas. I'm thrilled.' Major League Baseball made the game available for free on streaming site The Japanese right-hander was pitching in a big league game about three weeks after facing hitters in simulated at-bats for the first time. All the while, Ohtani was still wielding his powerful bat in the lineup for the NL West leaders. 'It got to the point where, hey, it feels like we should take that next step and almost look to finish the rehab at the major league level because of the taxing nature of what he was doing,' Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. Typically, pitchers returning from injuries go on minor league rehab assignments, but Ohtani is an exception. 'It's been really encouraging overall the way he's bounced back and been able to continue to feel good doing both,' Gomes said. Roberts said: 'You've got to hear the player and trust the player.' Roberts briefly considered not having Ohtani bat leadoff, but the slugger assured his manager he was fine with it. 'It could change going forward,' Roberts said, 'but right now he feels very comfortable with taking the mound and coming in the dugout and getting on his stuff to go take an at-bat.' Gomes acknowledged the team is in a unique situation, trying to balance Ohtani's offensive prowess with his pitching ability while erring on the side of caution. 'We don't know how he's going to come out, if his legs are going to be tired. We have to make sure that we're also keeping one of our best hitters in the lineup,' Gomes said. 'It has to be an ongoing conversation and making sure that Shohei is the one driving this conversation.' The three-time MVP began the night batting .290 with 25 homers, which led the National League, 41 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in the leadoff spot. While Ohtani won't be throwing deep into games at first, just his presence on the mound figures to bolster a staff that has been decimated by injuries. The Dodgers have eight starters, including Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, and six relievers on the injured list. Roberts said he and the coaches would watch Ohtani's command, delivery, and ability to repeat his mechanics. 'Like he always does, he's going to give everything he has and we expect a high-quality outing,' Gomes said. Ohtani is already on the roster as the designated hitter, so the Dodgers are essentially adding an extra pitcher without having to make a corresponding roster move. 'It's not going to be a once-every-five-day situation, so there's going to be plenty of time to recover,' Roberts said. 'We also have the luxury of pitching him as much as we want as far as in a particular outing.' Ohtani helped the Dodgers win their eighth World Series title — and his first — last season, the first of a $700 million, 10-year contract. He earned his third MVP award and first in the National League. He hadn't pitched since 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels. He was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 23 starts that season. His last mound appearance was on Aug. 23, 2023, when he got hurt during an outing against Cincinnati. Ohtani had Tommy John surgery on Oct. 1, 2018, and is recovering from a second major operation on his right elbow Sept. 19, 2023. As a pitcher, he entered 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings during his major league career. 'The main goal is obviously to have him strong down the stretch run and through October,' Gomes said.
