Shohei Ohtani, 30, a star pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB), is accelerating his pitching training in hopes of returning to the mound next year.

“Ohtani started pitching in late March and has been throwing the ball 60 feet (18.3 meters) since then,” MLB.com, the official MLB website, reported on Monday (March 28), adding that his fastball has reached 80 miles per hour (about 128.7 kilometers per hour).

“I usually throw about 60 to 70 pitches,” 안전놀이터 추천 Ohtani told MLB.com of his rehab, “and I’ve been steadily increasing the distance and the number of pitches I throw.”

Ohtani entered the MLB in 2018, signing with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, where he burst onto the big league scene as both a pitcher and a hitter. He was named the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) in both 2021 and 2023 for his dual role.

Ohtani has proven to be competitive as a pitcher in the big leagues.

In five seasons, he pitched in 86 games and 481⅔ innings, compiling a 38-19 record with a 3.01 ERA. Ohtani, who set a single-season record for wins with 15 in 2022, was on pace for his second straight year of double-digit wins with 10 last year.

However, he underwent right elbow ligament reconstruction 카지노사이트 추천 (Tommy John surgery) in September and has been limited to hitting this season. Ohtani aims to resume his two-hitting duties next season.