Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter/pitcher Shohei Ohtani seems comfortable at the mound again.
Ohtani made his second start this season in Sunday’s home game against the Washington Nationals. He struck out second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe in consecutive at-bats to end the first inning and allowed no runs on 18 pitches.
Ohtani, of course, wasn’t perfect. He threw a wild pitch, which allowed Nationals left fielder James Wood to reach second. Still, it was better than his pitching debut in a home game against the San Diego Padres on Monday.
In the 6-3 win against the Padres, Ohtani threw 28 pitches, 16 of which were strikes. However, he allowed one run.
Ohtani last pitched for the Los Angeles Angels during the 2023 season before undergoing right elbow surgery. This prevented him from pitching in his first season with the Dodgers.
Considering it’s been nearly two years since Ohtani has pitched, it’s even more impressive he’s already striking out batters.
Ohtani pitched only one inning against the Nationals. As he shakes off the rust, the Dodgers are expected to increase his workload.
If Ohtani keeps progressing quickly, he could provide a boost for the Dodgers. Entering Sunday’s game against the Nationals, L.A. ranked 22nd in baseball in ERA (4.22) and was tied for 24th in quality starts (22).
In the five seasons he pitched for the Angels, Ohtani posted a solid 3.02 ERA and went 38-19 in the regular season. During the 2022 season, he finished fourth in American League Cy Young voting.
His first two starts may signal he could reach those levels again sooner than expected.
