Shohei Ohtani threw live batting practice for the first time since sustaining a knee injury that has sidelined him from the Dodgers' rotation since July. Per ESPN, Ohtani faced teammate Will Smith and threw 30 pitches in the session held Saturday. When asked about a return timeline, Ohtani indicated he would be ready to pitch "in a few days" if it were up to him, per MLB.com.
The Dodgers plan to bring Ohtani back gradually. According to Yahoo Sports, Los Angeles intends to have him pitch one inning in his first few starts, with the goal of building him up to six innings by the postseason. ESPN cautioned that there is no definitive timeline for Ohtani's return to pitching, despite the positive progression of his rehabilitation.