Shohei Ohtani didn’t need a grand stage to make his return to the mound feel like a must-watch event—just a warm June night, a packed Dodger Stadium, and a fastball that could still touch triple digits.

After nearly two years off the hill, the moment finally came. Ohtani strolled out of the bullpen to the sound of Michael Bublé’s “Feeling Good,” a choice that felt more like a wink than a statement. But make no mistake, this was a moment baseball fans, Dodgers execs, and probably Ohtani himself had circled since the day he signed that $700 million deal.

The Long, Winding On‑Ramp

Ohtani’s second Tommy John in September 2023, plus an ill‑timed shoulder‑labrum cleanup after last year’s World Series, pushed every timeline back. The Dodgers couldn't send him on the usual rehab tour of Rancho Cucamonga and Oklahoma City. Instead, general manager Brandon Gomes shrugged and said, “There’s no playbook for this,” choosing to finish the buildup in real games.

The gamble really helps a Dodgers rotation that’s been duct‑taped together for weeks. Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell are rehabbing, rookie sensation Roki Sasaki’s shoulder is barking, and Los Angeles could desperately use another viable arm.

One Inning, a Hundred Miles an Hour, and a Touch of Rust

So, what did it actually look like when Shohei Ohtani took the mound again? Well, the radar gun lit up right away. First pitch to Fernando Tatis Jr. came in hot at 99.1 mph, and a few tosses later he cracked 100.2. That was already the second-hardest pitch thrown by any Dodger this season. Clearly, the elbow still had some juice.

But while the velocity was there, the command wasn’t exactly sharp. And honestly, that was to be expected. This was his first live game action since August 2023. The adrenaline was pumping, the lights were bright, and it’s not like he had a bunch of rehab starts under his belt to iron things out.

The final line was the kind of mixed bag you’d expect from a debut: 1 inning, 2 hits, 1 run, no strikeouts, no walks, and 28 pitches — 16 of them strikes. Tatis blooped one into right field to start things off, then advanced to second on a wild 100-mph sinker that even the backstop couldn’t snag. Luis Arraez followed with a line-drive single, and after a borderline checked swing from Manny Machado turned into a sac fly, the Padres were on the board.

From there, he settled in a bit. He got Gavin Sheets to bounce out on a 99-mph fastball and got out of the inning when Bogaerts rolled one over on a 95 mph sinker. No fireworks, but no disaster either.

As for the pitch mix, he went heavy fastball — nine four-seamers and eight sinkers — sprinkled in 10 sweepers, and tossed one lone splitter that came in at 91 mph. The splitter, his signature strikeout pitch, is still on a tight leash. The sinker, which he only started throwing in 2022 and used sparingly in 2023, was a real part of the arsenal tonight. And the sweeper had some nasty movement even if the location wasn’t perfect.

It wasn’t vintage Ohtani, but it didn’t have to be. The stuff was lively, the mechanics looked solid, and the elbow held up. If you’re the Dodgers, that’s exactly the kind of encouraging first step you were hoping to see.

From Mound to Batter’s Box Without Missing a Beat

Thanks to the updated two-way rule, Ohtani didn’t have to take a seat or hit the showers after tossing his inning — he just swapped his glove for a bat and got ready to hit leadoff. There wasn’t much time to reset. Quick sticky-stuff check, grab the helmet, and boom, he was back out there in the box. No easing into it, no mental cooldown — just straight from the mound to the on-deck circle.

His first trip to the plate didn’t go so hot. Padres starter Dylan Cease blew one by him to end the at-bat with a swinging strikeout. But Ohtani’s nothing if not quick to adjust. In the third, he smoked a double into the gap that brought in Andy Pages and tied things up. An inning later, he added a clean single to left that gave the Dodgers the lead. Just like that, he had two hits and two RBIs in a game where he also started on the bump.

Where Does the Unicorn Go From Here?

This was never going to be a light switch. Ohtani’s path back to being a full-on starter is more of a slow burn — one carefully planned outing at a time. Right now, the Dodgers are eyeing one-inning bumps every week or so, seeing how the elbow holds up, how the shoulder responds, and letting him build from there. No set timeline, just steady progress.

He’s not jumping into a six-inning load next week, and that’s fine. He doesn’t need to be that guy in June. The hope is to get him stretched out enough by August to give L.A. a real weapon down the stretch. Until then, the plan is to keep the bat in the lineup, the arm on a schedule, and the expectations realistic.

All stats courtesy of MLB.com.