Ohtani throws BP in significant step toward return
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Jorge Castillo
NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani faced hitters for the first time in nearly two years in a live batting practice at Citi Field on Sunday afternoon, a significant step in his return from a second elbow reconstruction surgery.
After a six-pitch warmup, Ohtani threw 22 pitches over five plate appearances to three batters: Dodgers utility man Hyeseong Kim, Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing and Dodgers game-planning and communication coach J.T. Watkins, who volunteered to step into the box because Ohtani did not want to face a right-handed-hitting teammate.
“I’ve gotten so used to seeing him as a hitter,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And so, to see him on the mound just solely as a pitcher, it was different and certainly exciting for all of us.”
Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior said Ohtani’s fastball velocity sat between 94 and 95 mph, and touched 97 mph. He threw four-seam fastballs, sinkers, cutters, two sweepers and a splitter in his first live action on a mound since logging 1 ⅔ innings for the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 23, 2023.
“It was a big jump today, from what I understand, from the bullpens to here facing hitters,” Roberts said. “Not surprised, though, because the competitor still comes out. You still want to get guys out. And so, to see him touch 97 wasn’t overly surprising.”
As for what’s next, Prior said that a decision will be made regarding his next live batting practice session in the coming days, depending on how Ohtani rebounds. Prior also indicated that the right-hander’s return to pitching in games is far from imminent.
“There’s no definitive anything,” Prior said. “So, I mean, there’s nothing we’re going to put definitive out there because, again, every day’s different for him. It’s a process. All [Tommy John surgeries] are a process so he’s facing hitters for the first time. He’s going to face hitters whether that’s five, six, seven [times], then we got to go through a progression and build him up into game endurance and stuff. But to say how many that is, I couldn’t tell you. I don’t know. But it’s going to be some time.”
Ohtani’s rehabilitation process is unlike any other pitcher returning from an elbow reconstruction surgery because he is still playing every day as the Dodgers’ designated hitter — and performing at the highest level. The Dodgers could ill-afford to lose the reigning National League MVP’s bat if he were to misstep in his return to the mound. Ohtani entered Sunday leading the NL with 17 home runs while batting .302 with a 1.040 OPS from the leadoff spot. The wrinkle complicates matters.
“We have to be able to react and be nimble with his workload on both sides of the baseball,” Prior said.
Ohtani took the mound Sunday in front of a group of Dodgers onlookers — a mix of players, coaches and front office executives — and dozens of Japanese reporters recording the superstar’s every movement. Dodgers bullpen catcher Hamlet Marte was behind the plate. He was lighthearted, smiling and reacting playfully to a few results.
Kim batted first and ripped a ground ball back to Ohtani on the fourth pitch of the at-bat. Ohtani smoothly fielded it and simulated a throw to first base. The play drew a loud reaction from teammates. He then struck out Watkins, a 35-year-old former minor leaguer. Rushing, a rookie top prospect, also struck out on a breaking ball.
“Everything looked real,” Rushing said. “It was getting on you, as it always has. Execution was there as well.”
Kim drilled a line drive down the right-field line in his second at-bat that would have likely resulted in a double, which prompted Ohtani to jokingly ask if Teoscar Hernandez, the Dodgers’ right fielder, could have caught it.
Ohtani completed the much-anticipated session by walking Watkins on five pitches. Watkins jokingly flipped his bat in celebration. Ohtani appeared pleased as he walked off the field, having faced hitters for the first time as a Dodger.
“He has taken a very methodical approach to this,” Prior said. “We’ve tried to take a very methodical approach to this, understanding the uniqueness of the situation, and I don’t think anybody in that room would ever doubt what he can do. But, you know, still got a long way to go and we’ll see where he comes out at the end of this year.”
Ohtani underwent his second elbow reconstruction surgery in six years in September 2023. Two months later, he and the Dodgers agreed to a 10-year, $700 million contract that pays Ohtani just $2 million per season and defers the other $680 million. The present value of the contract is estimated to be $460 million. He has been more than worth the price — on and off the field — by just hitting.
The Dodgers, currently besieged by injuries to their pitching staff with 14 pitchers on the injured list, hope they’ll see a return to his two-way prowess before the end of the season.
“If it kind of works out as it should, he’s a top-end starter,” Roberts said, “and so that’s kind of all of our expectations.”
DENVER — The Colorado Rockies have put closer Seth Halvorsen on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow strain after he had to leave Saturday’s win over Pittsburgh.
Interim manager Warren Schaeffer said at the time the injury didn’t look good — following the right-hander’s exit after throwing five pitches in the ninth inning. Halvorsen leads the Rockies with 11 saves.
Colorado also recalled right-hander Nick Anderson and catcher Braxton Fulford from Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, and the Rockies optioned infielder Michael Toglia to Albuquerque.
The 25-year-old Halvorsen is 1-2 with a 4.99 ERA this year. He made his big league debut in August of 2024.
Milwaukee Brewers All-Star rookie Jacob Misiorowski was placed on the injured list with a left tibia contusion prior to his scheduled start against the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
Misiorowski told reporters that he anticipates missing about two starts and being ready to go after the 15 days. The IL move is retroactive to Thursday.
The right-hander took a liner to the shin off the bat of the Chicago Cubs‘ Seiya Suzuki in the first inning of his last start Monday. Later in the inning, after fielding a dribbler in front of the mound, Misiorowski’s knee buckled as he threw wildly to first and two runners scored.
The 23-year-old Misiorowski stayed in the game, pitching three more innings before coming out after 80 pitches.
Misiorowski is 4-1 with 47 strikeouts in 33⅓ innings this season.
In a related move, the Brewers recalled right-hander Logan Henderson from Triple-A Nashville, and he is expected to start against the Nationals on Sunday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
BRISTOL, Tenn. — It was a red flag for Major League Baseball at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night.
The Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds was suspended in the first inning because of rain, soaking a record-breaking crowd for the first regular-season game in Tennessee. The plan is to resume the game on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
The first delay at the historic bullring of a racetrack came after the ceremonial first pitch featuring a pair of Hall of Famers in Johnny Bench and Chipper Jones, joined by NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott. The second with one out in the bottom of the first led to the game being pushed back a day.
Fans who stuck out the first delay of 2 hours, 17 minutes started heading toward the exits before the game was postponed with the Reds holding a 1-0 lead.
It was an unwelcome detour for the long-planned event mixing baseball and NASCAR.
“We’re going to suspend tonight’s game. … We are optimistic for a better weather forecast for tomorrow,” Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president of on-field operations, told Fox.
The rain made life difficult on the players before the suspension. A bat flew out of TJ Friedl‘s hands as he led off for the Reds. A pitcher seemed to catch his footing going to cover first base.
The Speedway Classic was announced nearly a year ago as part of commissioner Rob Manfred’s push to take MLB to places where baseball isn’t played every day live. MLB played a game at the “Field of Dreams” movie site in Iowa in 2021 and 2022. Games have been held in Alabama and North Carolina too.
Reds pitcher Andrew Abbott showed up Saturday afternoon at Bristol wearing a cutoff version of a NASCAR race suit. Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Abbott said he wanted something to wear in for a special game.
“I grew up around NASCAR,” Abbott said. “Just went on eBay and found a couple options, and luckily that was the one that arrived in time. I had a couple of backups. I know who Rusty Wallace is too, so I actually do know the backstory behind it.”
Long before the fans departed in the rain, they were entertained by a 110-foot Ferris wheel along with food trucks, live music, pitching tunnels and batting cages. Fans also had a chance for photos with the Commissioner’s Trophy and Clydesdales outside the historic racetrack.
Inside, star Tim McGraw performed and was joined by Pitbull.
Before the weather moved over the area, players stood in the back of pickup trucks with their numbers emblazoned on the side and rode around the half-mile racetrack. Some used their phones to document the moment. For introductions, the Braves and Reds walked between a pair of cars decked out in Atlanta and Cincinnati colors.
Then the tarp came out as rain that had been falling around Bristol much of Saturday turned heavy and delayed the start.
The first delay led to the Braves switching starting pitchers. Spencer Strider, who grew up in nearby Knoxville, got a bigger ovation than Reds starter Chase Burns, who is from Hendersonville and played at the University of Tennessee. The Reds stuck with Burns despite the delay.
Strider warmed up. The Braves chose not to risk his third start in this situation coming off a second elbow surgery and turned to Austin Cox.
The rain stopped long enough to take off the tarp and start the game.
Michael Waltrip, who raced plenty at Bristol, restarted the festivities by quoting his brother Darrell: “Boogity, boogity, boogity. Let’s play baseball, boys!”
Atlanta went down in order in the top of the first inning. But there was another rain delay after Austin Hays hit an RBI single for Cincinnati in the bottom half.
MLB didn’t try to sell every ticket inside the speedway that drew 156,990 for the Battle of Bristol college football game in 2016. The track with a racing capacity of 146,000 could host 90,000 or more even with sections blocked off.
Officials announced Monday that more than 85,000 tickets had been sold, topping the previous paid attendance of 84,587 set Sept. 12, 1954, when Cleveland Stadium hosted the New York Yankees.
A batter has to clear 400 feet to hit anything out of center field, 375 in the alleys and 330 down each baseline. Pulling a ball down the line raises the prospect of a ball bouncing off the racetrack beyond the outfield wall.
“Honestly, my first thought: I can’t believe they did all this for one game,” Braves first baseman Matt Olson said of his first visit to Bristol. “To be able to set all this up, get a playing surface ready, set the stands up in order to have the proper viewing, it’s pretty incredible.”
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