Shohei Ohtani last threw off a mound on July 22 in Philadelphia. If MLB‘s most famous two-way player has thrown a baseball since then, he’s done so out of sight of the media that follow his and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ every move.
That changed on Saturday, Aug. 8, when Ohtani played catch before the Dodgers’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.
Ohtani was at least a candidate to receive National League Cy Young Award votes, if not win the award, when injuries limited him to hitting duties after his July 3 start against the San Diego Padres.
In 14 starts this season, Ohtani is 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA. The Dodgers don’t necessarily need Ohtani on the mound to repeat as World Series champions. However, getting him back would boost an already star-studded rotation — and bolster Ohtani’s chances to win the NL Most Valuable Player award.
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More to come on this story.
