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Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani took another step forward in his recovery on Tuesday, throwing his second bullpen spring training session in Glendale, Arizona. The two-way sensation is working his way back to the mound after undergoing elbow surgery in 2023, which limited him to hitting only last season.
Ohtani’s latest bullpen session comes just a few days after his first one on Saturday, marking steady progress in his rehabilitation. The 30-year-old right-hander hopes to return to pitching at some point in the 2025 season, his first with the Dodgers after signing a record-breaking contract in the 2024 offseason.
While he could not take the mound last season, his bat more than made up for it. He won his third MVP award and became the first player in MLB history to hit 54 home runs while stealing 59 bases in a single season.
Beyond his elbow recovery, Ohtani also manages a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder, which he suffered while sliding into second base during the Dodgers’ World Series run. Despite these setbacks, he remains optimistic about resuming his two-way dominance.
Ohtani has a career 38-19 record as a pitcher with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts over 481 2/3 innings. Before his injury in 2023, he was 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings. If he can regain strength, he’ll bolster an already formidable Dodgers rotation featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow.
With his second bullpen session complete, all eyes will be on Ohtani’s progress as he inches closer to a long-awaited return to the mound.
Shohei Ohtani may be one of the most dominant athletes in the world, but even he has his flaws-parallel parking being one of them as the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ icon struggles to get his fancy Porsche into a tight spot in Arizona.
The two-way superstar attempting to park his sportscar with the same precision he throws a fastball, but the results were anything but smooth; showing Ohtani struggling to squeeze into a parking spot outside a Buffalo Wild Wings in Glendale.
The clip, taken on Monday night and shared by TMZ Sports, came as the 29-year-old was was meeting some teammates for an eating contest as they prepare for the upcoming 2025 MLB season as the defending champions.
The Japanese star initially backed into the spot, but as he got perilously close to the car behind him, he quickly pulled forward. Still not quite positioned correctly, he gave reversing another shot but once again, found himself inches from the rear bumper of the adjacent vehicle.
It took him several adjustments, but after nearly a full minute of maneuvering, he finally managed to park his car properly.
Ever the good sport, Ohtani seemed to find humor in the embarrassing situation and as he exited his Porsche, he gave a friendly wave, acknowledging the minor parking ordeal. While it might not have been the most impressive 58 seconds of his career, it was certainly an entertaining moment for those watching.
Despite this lighthearted parking mishap, Dodgers fans have no reason to worry. There’s no requirement for elite driving skills when it comes to throwing 100-mph fastballs, crushing 50 home runs, and stealing bases with ease.
Ohtani remains a once-in-a-generation talent on the field, even if his parallel parking skills could use a little fine-tuning.
Who do the Dodgers play first in the 2025 MLB season?
The defending champions in the upcoming 2025 MLB season will not kick off their campaign at Dodger Stadium as they actually head to Japan as part of a bid to continue growing the popularity of the American game in Asia.
As a result, the Los Angeles Dodgers will take on the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, March 18 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.
However, due to the game being in Asia, this means Americans can watch the contest on Monday, March 17 at 22:10 ET/19:10 PT.
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