Shohei Ohtani practiced pitching again over the weekend and hit a home run in the last 97-mile speedball game

Dodgers Japanese second-class superstar Shohei Ohtani is aiming to return to the pitcher mound this season, following the first actual pitching practice (Live BP) after completing right elbow surgery on the 26th, and the fastest 97 miles (about 156 kilometers) of speedball, head coach Roberts (Dave Roberts) revealed in an interview today that Ohtani is expected to have his second Live BP this weekend.

Ohtani has not been on the board as a pitcher in the major leagues since undergoing surgery on his right elbow in September 2023. In the past year, he has carried out the rehabilitation program step by step, from passing and receiving, practicing throwing in the cowshed, to officially facing the hitter on the 26th, completing the first live BP after surgery, taking an important step on the road to comeback.

In the Live BP, Ohtani showed good ball control and ball power against teammate Kim Hye Sung and rookie catcher Dalton Rushing, and blasted a 97-mile speedball. In addition to pitching, Ohtani did not forget to show his sense of humor, receiving the pitcher to roll forward to the ball and once passed the ball to first base, and made a funny bow pull action after the three strikeouts, which made the coaching team laugh again and again.

Head coach Roberts and pitcher coach Mark Prior praised Ohtani's performance, saying that in the future, they will gradually increase the speed of the ball and add the use of skateballs. It is worth mentioning that Ohtani still served as a pioneer on the day of the end of the pitch, and the first hit of the first game was a blast.

Roberts revealed again today, "He completed his passing and receiving practice today and is expected to have his second Live BP this weekend, although it has not yet been confirmed whether it will be Saturday or Sunday, but he will pitch against the hitter again."

The Dodgers have not announced when Ohtani will officially return to the board, but it is widely predicted that it could fall in July, and the team prefers to make him a pitcher after the All-Star break and even into the playoffs to ensure that he is fully prepared.