Shohei Ohtani, despite his ongoing success as one of the top hitters in the MLB, is steadily improving in his journey towards returning to the pitcher’s mound following his Tommy John surgery.
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar, [Name], recently revealed that he has been making progress in his recovery. He shared that he began throwing from a distance of 60 feet last week and has already reached an impressive speed of 80 mph. This update shows promising signs of his rehabilitation and suggests that he is on track to return to the field soon.
“Just gradually increasing the distance,” Ohtani mentioned during a conversation with an interpreter on Monday, before the Dodgers’ scheduled game against the New York Mets got postponed. He added, “Typically, I throw around 60-70 pitches during that distance. I’ll keep pushing the boundaries by increasing both the distance and pitch count, and we’ll see how it progresses. I don’t have a specific target in mind, but that’s the plan moving forward.”
Ohtani had his elbow surgery in September last year while playing for the Los Angeles Angels. Prior to the surgery, he had an impressive record of 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings across 23 starts. As a result of the surgery, Ohtani is currently limited to only hitting this season. However, he is having a remarkable offensive year and is on track to have his best performance in the major leagues so far.
In 53 games as the Dodgers’ designated hitter, Ohtani, 29, has emerged as the leader in several key statistical categories. He currently holds the highest batting average (.336) and total bases (131) across all major league teams. Additionally, he has established himself as the top performer in the National League, leading in slugging percentage (.621), OPS (1.024), and OPS+ (188).
Ohtani recently battled through a hamstring contusion that he sustained after being hit by a pickoff throw last week. Despite the injury, he has continued to play in games. However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that Ohtani has been cautioned against exerting too much strain on his hamstring.
According to Ohtani, his running has been impacted by the injury, but his swing remains unaffected.
He expressed his positivity, stating that each day is improving. He acknowledged that today is notably better than yesterday.
