Shohei Ohtani dazzles teammates in first bullpen session against hitters: "He's pretty good"

In a day that combined encouraging signs from the mound and power at the plate, Shohei Ohtani took a key step in his rehabilitation. The Japanese ace of the Los Angeles Dodgers faced live hitters for the first time since undergoing surgery on his right elbow in September 2023.

The bullpen session took place on Sunday at Citi Field, a few hours before the third game of the series against the New York Mets. Ohtani made 22 pitches in a simulated practice that, despite its private nature, showed that his recovery is on track.

The return as a pitcher has not yet been defined, but in Los Angeles they are considering the All-Star Game break in July as a possibility for his reappearance.

Shortly after launching, the two-way phenomenon connected for a home run in his team's 3-1 loss. Despite the result, the Dodgers continue to lead the National League West, and Ohtani's performance, both in the bullpen and at the plate, remains a positive sign for the organization.

Ohtani draws crowd to bullpen session in New York

Ohtani enjoyed the session, after dominating JT Watkins, the Dodgers planning and communication coach, with four pitches and fooling him into a missed swing, the Japanese two-way star mimicked the strikeout signal that any umpire would have made, while being watched by his teammates and coaches behind the plate.

He also put catcher Dalton Rushing through his paces in five pitches, striking him out with a splitter and leaving him shocked by his level: "His repertoire was electrifying. Sho looked like Sho."

In the balance of his 23 pitches, Ohtani recorded a pair of strikeouts, a walk and a double, while most of his teammates and some rivals watched him at Citi Field.

"It was on the schedule, so probably half our team was on the court, if not most," Dodgers closer Tanner Scott told Mirror US Sports and added: "It's Shohei Ohtani. He's pretty good."