Shohei Ohtani’s Rehabilitation Progresses with 25-Pitch Bullpen ‍Session

Major League Baseball player Shohei Ohtani took a significant step forward in his rehabilitation on the 14th, practicing pitching in the bullpen ahead of ⁤the game against the Atlanta Braves⁤ at their home stadium.

Ohtani,‌ who underwent a second ⁣surgery to ⁢reconstruct ligaments in ⁤his right elbow in September of last year, has⁣ been continuing his‌ rehabilitation as a pitcher‌ while appearing in games as a designated hitter this season.

After resuming catch ball in March, Ohtani gradually increased the distance‍ and has‌ been practicing bullpen ⁣pitching‌ since last month. His most recent bullpen session‍ on the⁢ 14th ‍marked his first in⁣ four days.

Ohtani began by throwing approximately 60 pitches in⁤ catch on the field, then mixed in some changeups in the⁣ bullpen, throwing ‍25​ pitches – the most ‍in his sixth bullpen outing since the ⁣surgery.

During‌ the session, Ohtani was seen checking the ball data on a tablet, and⁢ at the end, after throwing a powerful ball, ​he tapped his glove with a smile on ⁣his face, appearing satisfied with the speed.

According⁢ to the club, Ohtani’s fastball speed ⁣topped out at⁣ 149.6 km/h, a promising sign in his rehabilitation progress.

Ohtani is expected to further advance his rehabilitation by practicing pitching in a real-life‍ format‌ against batters during the season, marking a‍ significant step ⁣towards⁢ his full ⁣recovery.