Shohei Ohtani Makes Clear Statement After Pitching Return With Dodgers
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Shohei Ohtani Makes Clear Statement After Pitching Return With Dodgers originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Dodger Stadium was the place to be Monday night as Shohei Ohtani made his long-awaited return to the mound for the home team. Facing their biggest divisional rivals, the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers played in front of a packed crowd of 53,207 fans.
While Ohtani didn’t earn the win, he played a key role in another Los Angeles victory. His outing was brief, just one inning pitched, allowing two hits and one run on 28 pitches. Still, it was a meaningful step forward for the two-way superstar.
After the game, Ohtani took to Instagram and posted a simple but powerful message:
“I’m back.”
It marked the first time Ohtani had pitched since the 2023 season. The 30-year-old made 23 starts that year before an injury shut him down. He posted a 10-5 record with a 3.14 ERA in 2023.
Monday’s appearance was his 87th career MLB start. Ohtani currently holds a 38-19 record with a career ERA of 3.02. He struck out 608 batters while issuing just 173 walks, a testament to his command and dominance when healthy.
His bat, as usual, made a huge impact. In the third inning, Ohtani ripped a double to tie the game at 1. One inning later, he helped fuel a Dodgers rally. His single to right-center brought home Andy Pages to make it 5-2. Mookie Betts followed with another RBI to push the lead to 6-2.
The Padres got one back in the sixth on Manny Machado’s 11th homer of the season, but that would be it. The Dodgers held on for a 6-3 win.
The Dodgers continue to roll with Ohtani producing at the plate and now slowly working his way back into form on the mound. While his pitching workload is expected to ramp up cautiously, Monday night was a strong sign that the reigning MVP is ready to contribute on both sides of the ball once again.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
