Knee-Sore Ohtani Throws 30 Pitches in Bullpen Session to Tune Up

Major League Baseball (MLB) superstar Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who is temporarily sidelined from pitching in actual games due to left knee soreness, has tuned up his feel by throwing in the bullpen.

MLB.com reported on July 23 (Korean time) that Ohtani threw about 30 pitches in the bullpen at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

It was Ohtani's first time throwing off a bullpen mound in two weeks.

He performed a routine bullpen session as he normally would between starts, bringing forward the schedule that was initially planned for when the team moves to New York over the weekend.

The Dodgers plan to map out his return to the starting rotation depending on the recovery speed of his knee.

Ohtani first felt abnormal signs in his knee ligament during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 12.

As the pain worsened, the Dodgers canceled Ohtani's final start of the first half on July 11.

Despite receiving the most votes in fan balloting, Ohtani skipped the All-Star Game to receive treatment. During that period, instead of a planned procedure to drain fluid from his knee, he received a lubricating injection and returned to the team.

However, as the discomfort still lingered, his scheduled first start of the second half against the Philadelphia Phillies on the 23rd was also canceled.

Ohtani currently posts an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA this season.

Though he is not taking the mound, Ohtani continues to play as a hitter and went hitless in four at-bats as the leadoff designated hitter in the game against Philadelphia on this day.

The Dodgers won 9-5.
 
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.