Dodgers Interview: Prior likes what he’s seeing from Shohei on the mound

SAN DIEGO — Before Tuesday’s game against the Padres, Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior offered a detailed—and optimistic—assessment of Shohei Ohtani’s three-inning live bullpen session, as well as updates on the rehab status of Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki. In short? Encouraging signs all around.

After weather delays and a few scheduling detours, Ohtani finally got back on the mound in a competitive setting, facing hitters in a simulated game at Petco Park. “Like I said Friday, he was going to throw and there was weather, and we got big games,” Prior noted. “There’s a lot of variables that change on a daily basis with him that we don’t normally come across with other pitchers.”

But Tuesday, everything aligned.

“I thought today was another extremely positive day,” Prior said. “From pitch to pitch, I thought he was in command the whole time today. I mean, you’re just sitting back and just watching it. There wasn’t a whole lot to say. He was doing whatever he wanted with the baseball—with every pitch he wanted to.”

Ohtani, who tossed 44 pitches over three innings, got swing-and-miss results, but Prior emphasized the quality of those whiffs. “It wasn’t just pure power and velocity. He got some swing and misses on his off-speed pitches,” he explained. “He’s being able to keep guys off balance and mess up their timing. He’s getting misses in the strike zone, not just balls in the dirt and chase-type swings.”

That kind of command, consistency, and pitch variety were major positives, especially at this stage of Ohtani’s throwing program. “Sometimes guys in rehab, you start seeing things trend down—quality of stuff or velocity or just their overall physical shape—and he didn’t show any signs of that,” Prior said.

As for velocity, Ohtani has been sitting comfortably in the mid-90s. “He was today,” Prior confirmed. “I don’t know if that’s like a plan or as much as just like, you know, just throwing the baseball. I think there’s more in there if he needs it. But right now it’s more about executing good pitches and keeping an even intensity throughout the outing.”

And if you needed a reminder of Ohtani’s unique two-way talent, Prior offered this gem: “It’s unusual to see a guy go throw three innings in a sim game, and now he’s going to go out and DH and hopefully help us win a ball game tonight.”

As we know, that didn’t exactly happen, as the Dodgers got bludgeoned by the Padres 11-1.

Encouraging Signs from Snell and Glasnow

Prior also gave updates on Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, who are progressing through rehab work with increasing confidence and sharpness.

“The last 10 days have been good for both those guys,” Prior said. “Seeing Blake today live in front of us was great. His arm looks, for the first time probably all year, like free and easy.”

While Snell’s delivery took a few reps to sync up, Prior said, “Arm-wise, it’s as clean as it’s been in a long time.”

As for Glasnow, Tuesday marked his third bullpen session since hitting the IL. “His velocity is great. He’s been [sitting] five and six [mph],” Prior reported. “He really has been feeling good, and the ball has been coming out really good.”

The Dodgers are mindful of easing both starters back to a point where they can consistently provide length. “We’ve got to get both those guys to a point where they can come in and take down probably five innings,” Prior said. “As great as they are, only coming out there for three innings and then having to take down six or seven innings in the bullpen is not ideal.”

Roki Sasaki Update: Still in Holding Pattern

While Ohtani dazzled and Snell and Glasnow turned corners, the outlook on rookie Roki Sasaki remains more tentative.

“Not a whole lot to report on Roki,” Prior admitted. “He’s still playing some light catch and trying to move forward. I think right now we’ve got to get him in a position where he feels confident in his ability to throw the baseball.”

Although Sasaki is currently pain-free, Prior emphasized that “he hasn’t gotten to the point where he can put enough intensity [on the throw] to push forward in his progression.”

There’s also a mental hurdle. “There is a little bit of a mental barrier that they all need to get through,” Prior said. “Roki’s just as frustrated. He hasn’t really got to that point yet.”

That said, Prior remains hopeful. “Sometimes that can happen in four to five days and all of a sudden they turn it,” he explained. “That happened with Blake and Glasnow. They had moments of frustration and then all of a sudden things turned very quickly.”

For now, Sasaki continues to throw light catch—not yet ramping up to full bullpen work. But like his more seasoned teammates, the team hopes he’ll soon follow the same arc toward recovery.

Bottom line? Ohtani looks sharp and confident. Snell and Glasnow are finally syncing up. And Sasaki, while behind, isn’t out. For the Dodgers’ pitching staff, Tuesday might have been the most encouraging off-day of the month.

Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!