Shohei Ohtani pitches for first time since elbow surgery, but Dodgers insist he won’t pitch in 2024

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani on Friday night Joined the 40-40 club and didn’t miss any dramaHe stole his 40th base in the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays, then hit a walk-off grand slam to hit his 40th home run. Ohtani is the sixth member of the 40-40 club and got there in his 129th game of the season, the fastest in history.

On Saturday, Ohtani achieved another milestone, though this one came short of a historic 40-40 record. Ohtani threw from the mound on Saturday for the first time since elbow surgery last September. It was a much lighter throwing session — only 10 pitches in the bullpen — than is typical for the first time throwing from the mound after surgery. Still, it’s a significant step in Ohtani’s rehabilitation.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Sunday, Including MLB.comThat Ohtani came out of Saturday’s throwing session well, and that he’ll be throwing from a mound again in about a week. The plan is to have him facing hitters this year before he’s properly shut down for a normal offseason.

The Dodgers have said Ohtani won’t pitch at all this season, and frankly, that would be pretty aggressive. He’ll have less than six weeks to complete his rehab, which includes facing batters and regaining feel for his pitches, before returning as a one-inning reliever in the postseason. Never say never, but Ohtani pitching in games in 2024 seems very unlikely.

Ohtani the hitter is doing just fine, though. He hit his 41st home run of the season on Saturday and has a batting line of .294/.379/.619. Among other things, Ohtani leads the National League with 41 homers and 99 RBIs and he’s 13 points behind Marcell Ozuna for the league’s batting title. With five weeks left to play, the Triple Crown is within his reach.

After a sluggish July, the Dodgers are 14-7 in August and have won 11 of their last 15 games. They have the best record in baseball at 77-53 and are three games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.