An opposing participant doesn’t sometimes draw a crowd a couple of hours earlier than a recreation, however that’s precisely what occurred Sunday afternoon at Citi Subject when Shohei Ohtani threw to hitters for the primary time in almost two years.
After present process his second Tommy John surgical procedure in 2023, Ohtani, MLB’s two-way phenom, has been restricted to solely a DH function, although it feels unusual to make use of the phrase restricted in any context about Ohtani. There was nothing restricted concerning the three-time MVP’s manufacturing on the plate, with the slugger even including a brand new talent to his set final season by stealing 59 bases.
It’s not usually that even probably the most elite gamers are in a position so as to add a brand new membership to their luggage like that, however Ohtani isn’t like some other participant on the earth.
His uniqueness and his greatness is why Carlos Mendoza ventured into the dugout whereas baseball’s unicorn was throwing reside batting apply. The Mets supervisor, alongside together with his bench coach, John Gibbons, outfielder Jesse Winker and Ohtani’s former Angels teammate Griffin Canning watched him throw 22 pitches over 5 plate appearances to 3 batters hours earlier than the Los Angeles Dodgers concluded their three-game collection in New York.
“It’s Shohei Ohtani,” Mendoza stated. “If you get an opportunity to watch him, you take it.”
It was probably the most important step but in his rehab. Ohtani threw almost all of his pitches, together with his fastball velocity sitting 94-95 and topping out at 97. He additionally threw sinkers, cutters, sweepers and no less than one splitter earlier than going by way of his pregame hitting routine in preparation for batting leadoff in opposition to his fellow Japanese countryman, Mets right-hander Kodai Senga.
Mendoza marveled on the means he was capable of handle the workload.
“It’s special when you’re talking about a superstar like that,” Mendoza stated. “He’s on the point of be the leadoff hitter for the Dodgers in 4 hours, and he’s throwing 95-96 with the cut up…
“He’s having fun and that’s what the game needs is players like that. It’s just fun to be out there and watch him do his thing.”
The Mets principally managed to neutralize Ohtani all through the collection, apart from his solo dwelling run off Kodai Senga to steer off Sunday’s recreation. However he went down quietly after that, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout in his remaining at-bats.
Left-hander David Peterson struck him out 3 times in Saturday’s win, with Mendoza saying Peterson made Ohtani “look human.”
The pitching employees as a complete did an efficient job in opposition to the Dodgers’ massive three of Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman over the weekend. They 6-for-36 with 4 walks, 11 strikeouts and one dwelling run. It’s a stark distinction to what the highest of the Dodgers’ lineup did to the Mets over a six-game NLCS final fall. Ohtani had an OPS over 1.000 in that collection, as did Betts.
“I think it’s believing that we’re good too,” Mendoza stated. “Yeah, they’re great, but we’re good. When you start giving them way too much credit, that’s when you start nibbling. Yeah, you’ve got to respect the fact that they’re some of the best hitters in the game, but we also know that we’re good and we want to challenge them.”
Ohtani has but to throw a pitch in a Dodgers uniform. The defending World Sequence champs may use his arm given the entire pitching accidents they’re compelled to cope with proper now, however the workforce just isn’t able to decide to a agency timeline for his return to the mound. This was his second elbow surgical procedure since 2019, so the Dodgers are being conservative together with his rehab. Ohtani will face hitters a number of extra occasions earlier than he’s capable of get again on a mound in a recreation.
The membership may additionally have to determine get him as much as recreation velocity on the mound with no rehab project. Whereas the opposite groups within the NL West may wish to keep away from going through Ohtani, the Dodgers received’t need to go with out their leadoff hitter and the focus of their lineup for a month whereas he throws in minor league video games.
The Mets will see the Dodgers once more quickly, beginning a four-game collection in Los Angeles on June 2. But when they see them once more within the playoffs, they could should face the two-way model of Ohtani.
“Hopefully, I get to watch him in real games,” Mendoza stated. “That means we’re playing against them in October.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Third baseman Mark Vientos returned to the lineup Sunday after coping with a sore stomach muscle within the first two video games of the collection. Left fielder Brandon Nimmo was out of motion as soon as once more with a sore neck. He didn’t do any baseball actions Saturday, and didn’t seem within the recreation off the bench Sunday. Jeff McNeil took his spot in left.
Left-hander Sean Manaea threw a bullpen Sunday at Citi Subject, and can progress to going through hitters subsequent.
Initially Printed: Could 25, 2025 at 7:34 PM EDT
