PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Shohei Ohtani threw a 26-pitch bullpen session Saturday before the Los Angeles Dodgers’ game against the Philadelphia Phillies, another step toward his mound return.
Recovering from , the two-way star threw his second bullpen session since resuming his pitching ramp up. He paused after his mound session on Feb. 25 to prepare for opening day as a hitter, then threw a bullpen on March 29.
He incorporated splitters on Saturday.
“It’s a week, but then there’s also the one in between, where he touches the mound on a Thursday,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And I think it’s just more trying to keep him on a similar seven-day program, and what the schedule would look (like) going out, and build from there.”
When Ohtani is ready for game pitching, the Dodgers plan to use a six-man rotation.
A three-time MVP and four-time All-Star, Ohtani is 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings as a pitcher.
___
AP MLB:
