Shohei Ohtani is back on the mound, and yes, the San Diego Padres greeted him with a little reality check. But before anyone grabs their pitchforks or jumps into hot takes, let’s pump the brakes. Monday night wasn’t about perfection — it was about potential. And Ohtani, fresh off elbow surgery and facing live hitters for the first time in nearly 10 months, gave us plenty to talk about.
No Cause for Panic For Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani
Top of the first, Fernando Tatis Jr. slaps a single, scoots to second on a wild pitch, and before you know it, Luis Arraez drops another hit. Manny Machado sends a sac fly to the outfield, and the Padres put up a quick 1-0 lead. Not ideal? Sure. But also not disastrous. We’re talking about one inning — 28 pitches, 16 of them strikes. Yeah, there was a little rust, but that’s to be expected after nearly a year off the mound.
And even in those few rough patches, there were silver linings. For one, Machado may have gone around on what would’ve been strike three before lofting that sac fly — a borderline call that could’ve completely shifted the tone of the inning. So no, Ohtani didn’t get shelled. He got tested. There’s a difference.
Shohei Ohtani Still Has The Heat
Ohtani touched 100.2 mph. That’s not just “pretty good” velocity. That’s “top of the league” velocity. It tied for the second-fastest pitch thrown by a Dodgers pitcher this season. His fastball averaged 99.1 mph across nine heaters. But it wasn’t just the gas. The man also brought a diverse arsenal — 10 sweepers, eight sinkers, and a lone splitter. That’s a full menu for someone just easing back into pitching duties.
Make no mistake, this outing was about showing the Dodgers — and the baseball world — that his surgically repaired elbow wasn’t just healed; it was ready. And based on how the radar gun was screaming, it sure looked ready.
An Early Return That Changes the Narrative
Ohtani wasn’t supposed to be on the mound in June. When spring training opened, the whispers were all about a post-All-Star break timeline, a cautious ramp-up. But that changed fast when he threw a 44-pitch simulated game at Dodger Stadium and dazzled Dave Roberts enough to rethink the plan. That moment flipped the script. Suddenly, a midseason cameo became an early-summer comeback.
And the timing couldn’t be better. The Dodgers have been navigating a minefield of starting pitcher injuries. Adding even a one-inning weapon like Ohtani to the bullpen or as an opener suddenly opens all kinds of strategic doors. He doesn’t need to throw six innings. He needs to be available — and effective — for one or two high-leverage frames when it matters.
Still a Force at the Plate
The guy came into Monday night’s game with a 1.034 OPS and 25 home runs. That’s not “still finding his swing” — that’s “owning every pitcher in baseball” territory. He’s already among the league’s elite with the bat. Now, with even a sliver of his old dominance on the mound returning, we’re talking about something historic.
So sure, he gave up a run. But Shohei Ohtani is officially a two-way threat again. And for a Dodgers team with big October plans, that’s a game-changer.
