The Los Angeles Dodgers finally welcomed Shohei Ohtani the pitcher on Monday night as he made his pitching debut in a Dodgers uniform after 22 months away from the rubber.
L.A. beat the rival San Diego Padres, 6-3, but after the first of a four-game set against the Friars, Ohtani made a surprising comment about what it felt like to once again pitch in MLB.
“I was more nervous than when I’m just a hitter,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
Although Ohtani boasted a career 3.01 ERA in MLB play before returning to the mound, and a 2.52 mark during five seasons hurling in Nippon Professional Baseball, the nerves were impossible to avoid in front of a sold out Dodger Stadium crowd who had yet to see the reigning National League MVP pitch.
“My arm was moving a little too fast, so pitches were going more to the glove side than I anticipated,” Ohtani said.
Of Ohtani’s 28 pitches on Monday, nine were thrown in the strike zone. Of the 13 swings that the Padres took against Ohtani, batters whiffed on three of the offerings: two fastballs and a sweeper.
As great as Ohtani is and as other-worldly it is to have him as a starting pitching option, he was hard on himself after the game.
“Not quite happy with the results overall, but I think the biggest takeaway for me is that I feel good and healthy,” Ohtani said. “I did hit 100 (mph) today, so I want to see first how my body feels and how it reacts. But the expectation is to go once a week — hopefully to go a little longer every time I’m out there so that the bullpen won’t be so taxed.”
Ohtani hit 100.2 mph which was extremely promising given his first piece of MLB action in almost two years, but what he mentioned about taxing the bullpen is arguably just as important.
With 14 pitchers on the injured list, Ohtani’s return eases the pressure of an ailing pitching roster, but like he insinuated, the best is still yet to come.
