Shohei Ohtani is returning to the mound. Ohtani will pitch on Monday, serving as the Dodgers starter against the Padres for his first pitching appearance since 2023. Ohtani, who had elbow surgery nearly two years ago, will pitch as an opener, per manager Dave Roberts. He recently threw 44 pitches in a simulated game.

For Ohtani specifically, going back to pitching will represent so much more than an added bonus to an MVP signed to a team for the better part of the next decade, but the normalcy that the superstar finds in pitching is something that he has perfected long before making his way to MLB.

Shohei Ohtani is making his Los Angeles Dodgers pitching debut, 21 months after the two-way superstar had elbow surgery