Ohtani to throw BP, face hitters for 1st time in pitching rehab

NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to face hitters Sunday for the first time in his recovery from right elbow surgery.

The two-way superstar will throw live batting practice at Citi Field before the Los Angeles Dodgers play the New York Mets, manager Dave Roberts announced Friday.

It's the next step for Ohtani as he works toward returning to the mound. He had right elbow surgery on Sept. 19, 2023, and hasn't pitched in a major league game since Aug. 23 that year for the Los Angeles Angels.

There is no target date yet for his pitching debut with the Dodgers, though expectations are it could come in July.

Roberts wasn't sure how many pitches Ohtani will throw Saturday or which Los Angeles teammates he will face.

The right-hander mixed in breaking pitches during a throwing session Tuesday for the first time in his rehabilitation program. Before that, he had been limited to fastballs and splitters.

Ohtani threw a 50-pitch bullpen last Saturday, increasing from 35 pitches in his previous session.