Shohei Ohtani is currently enjoying an impressive season as he enters his ninth major league season. He finished the previous season with a World Series triumph with the Los Angeles Dodgers, fresh off his third MVP award and the only player ever to record a 50-50 season (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases).
Ohtani made his eagerly awaited comeback in 2025, pitching his first game for the Dodgers against the division rival San Diego Padres as an opener after missing the mound for all of 2024 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
Shohei Ohtani Came To Be a Pitcher and a Hitter, Says Joe Maddon
On “MLB Now,” former MLB manager Joe Maddon, who coached Ohtani during his time with the Los Angeles Angels from 2020 to 2022, offered his opinions on the Dodgers’ choice to start him.
Maddon said, “Shohei came to the United States and signed to do both things. I think it would really bother him to not, or just be told unilaterally that he cannot do that. I know the injury situation is a possibility, whatever, but he’s here to do those particular things.”
.@MaddHalos weighs in on Shohei Ohtani as an opener as his former manager. pic.twitter.com/P9ZpuWckrG
— MLB Now (@MLBNow) June 24, 2025
The two-way superstar’s former manager also paid out a potential plan for him moving forward, “I would pay more attention to number of pitches thrown as opposed to innings thrown moving forward. Maybe up to 75 pitches, something like that, and get him out.”
On Sunday, June 22, the Japanese phenom pitched in Dodger Stadium’s 13-7 victory over the Washington Nationals, marking his second start. Ohtani made his first appearance on the mound since August 2023, while he was with the Angels, six days before the afternoon start.
Although Ohtani’s 2025 pitching debut had some hiccups, things went much more smoothly the second time. Even though he only pitched one inning, he collected his first two strikeouts as a Dodger and did not allow a hit.
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Ohtani had acknowledged that the adrenaline caused him to pitch with more strength than usual during his debut appearance against the San Diego Padres.
He pitched with less velocity this time; against Washington, his fastball averaged 97.9 mph, which was slower than the 99.1 mph he had earlier in the week.
His best pitch against San Diego was the sweeper. He threw it seven times and five of them were called for strikes, including one that retired Luis Garcia Jr. Nathaniel Lowe then struck out swinging on a cutter.
Not only did Ohtani hit a home run and a triple against Washington, but he also recorded five RBI, making it a memorable day for the 30-year-old sensation. Ohtani pitched and hit a home run in the same game for the first time since Aug. 23, 2023.