LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani faced teammate Will Smith in live batting practice on Saturday, but there’s no definitive timeline for the two-way superstar to return to pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers.Wearing long sleeves, Ohtani threw 30 pitches under a blazing sun in 93-degree (34 Celsius) heat and ended the session by giving a thumbs-up.Among those looking on were pitching coach Mark Prior and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, fellow MVPs Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, and some of the Pittsburgh Pirates.“We’re getting there,” manager Dave Roberts said afterward. “If it were up to Shohei, he’d be in a game in a few days.”Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a game since July 3 because of lingering soreness in his left knee, which is his landing leg while pitching.“I’d like to think the knee thing is behind us,” Roberts said.
Ohtani is likely to throw another live session next week. Once he returns to the rotation, Roberts said he’ll be limited to one, two or three innings as part of a slow buildup.“The lives are good because you’re actually facing hitters and you can see the mechanics and how they play,” the manager said.The goal is for Ohtani to be able to make full-length starts once the Dodgers begin their quest for a third consecutive World Series championship in October.
