Dodgers News: Shohei faces hitters for the first time
"Today was a good step"
QUEENS, NY — Before Saturday’s game against the Mets, Shohei Ohtani reached a new milestone in his recovery from Tommy John surgery: facing live hitters for the first time since the procedure.
The session took place on the field at Citi Field, and Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior came away encouraged—not just by the results, but by how easy and natural Ohtani looked during the outing.
“It was a really good live BP,” Prior said. “The stuff’s there.” Ohtani hovered in the mid-90s with his fastball, touching 96–97 mph when he let loose. He mixed in his trademark cutter and splitter, which sat around 88 mph, and even began slowly reintegrating his sweeper into the mix.
The goal wasn’t perfection, Prior emphasized, but to see how Ohtani’s pitches “played” against live hitters—and whether he could generate the kind of awkward swings that suggest his elite stuff is back. He did.
Ohtani, who continues to serve as the Dodgers’ designated hitter every day, including batting leadoff Saturday night, hasn’t yet been given a definitive timeline for returning to the mound in a competitive game. But Prior said the team is proceeding step-by-step, gauging his physical response to each new workload. “We have to be able to react and be nimble with his workload on both sides of the baseball,” Prior said.
Ohtani’s easy demeanor stood out as much as his stuff. According to Prior, the two-way superstar remained relaxed and in control throughout the session, striking a balance between serious execution and a playful attitude. “He was loose, and it was all pretty easy,” Prior said. “That’s always positive.”
Veteran infielder Justin Turner was one of the hitters who stepped in against Ohtani during the session. “He got the nastiest pitches to JT,” Prior said with a smile. “It was already unfair—and then not having his point on made it even more unfair.” Turner earned some light-hearted respect for standing in the box and taking his hacks against a clearly amped-up Ohtani.
From a velocity standpoint, Ohtani varied his intensity deliberately. He started off throwing at 94–95 mph (“fours” and “fives” on the internal scale Prior uses), reached 96–97 (“sixes and sevens”) when Turner stepped in, and then ramped back down. “He was kind of trying to hover around mid-90s,” Prior said. “But he got a couple [pitches] you let loose.”
Though this was Ohtani’s first day facing live hitters, Prior said it marked just one in a series of steps along a long, carefully managed road. “It’s a big checkpoint,” he said. “Doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of work to do. But you appreciate the process and the work that goes into it.”
While Ohtani continues to be an everyday force in the Dodgers’ lineup, Prior noted that pitching prep is starting to take more of his focus again. “Over the last month or so, it’s probably gotten a little bit more into pitching,” he said. “Now we’re talking more about pitch movement, pitch location, setups—more strategy-type things. We’re still learning him, too.”
And when it comes to how Ohtani handles the grind of recovery—especially after a second Tommy John surgery—Prior stressed the individuality of the process. “So much of injuries and rehab is very individual,” he said. “But with Shohei, you don’t ever count him out. The moment you think something might not work, he shows you something special.”
That sentiment is echoed throughout the Dodgers clubhouse. Ohtani’s combination of talent, mindset, and presence continues to stand apart. “He’s very present in what he’s doing and enjoys the moment,” Prior said. “He doesn’t go too high or too low.”
What’s next? More evaluation, and more conversation. “We’ll see where he comes out of it tomorrow,” Prior said, referring to how Ohtani feels after the new physical stress. “We’ll make decisions over the next 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 days,” he added with a chuckle, underlining how fluid the timeline remains.
Still, for Prior and the Dodgers, Saturday marked a meaningful moment in Ohtani’s journey. “You check this box, and that’s important,” Prior said. “Ultimately, you hope it culminates in him facing hitters in real games again. But today was a good step.”
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