The Dodgers managed Shohei Ohtani's pitching return with a cautious, gradual rehab plan, beginning with simulated one- and two-inning outings before moving to Major League appearances. Ohtani debuted on June 16 against the San Diego Padres, initially making one-inning starts and increasing his workload over subsequent outings. After previous shorter outings, Ohtani completed five innings against the Cincinnati Reds, recording a season-high nine strikeouts and throwing a season-high 87 pitches. The outing featured a diversified pitch mix, including seven different pitches and an emphasis on curveballs, while the Dodgers maintained an innings limit and avoided extending him beyond five innings.
Ohtani initially began facing batters in simulated games of one and two innings. But there then was a shift to effectively continue the rehab process with the Dodgers in Major League games. Ohtani made his Dodgers pitching debut against the San Diego Padres on June 16, throwing one inning. He repeated a one-inning start six days later and has been on a steady progression since that point.
After falling short of the goal in back-to-back starts, Ohtani completed five innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. He additionally collected a season-high nine strikeouts and threw 87 pitches, which represented his most of the year. Equally as notable as reaching multiple season-high totals was Ohtani incorporating a bevy of his secondary and offspeed pitches in a stark reversal from prior starts.
"As we were just progressing through this rehab in general, aside from the innings, I wanted to be able to incorporate other pitches," Ohtani explained through interpreter Will Ireton. "So that was really my intent going in. "With the doctor consultation, the number goal was to make sure my fastball and velocity was where I want it to be. So curveball and split was less of a priority going into this rehab process."
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