Ohtani completes live batting practice in pitching rehab

Shohei Ohtani took a significant step Saturday in his return to the pitcher’s mound, throwing 30 pitches in a live batting practice session against teammate Will Smith at Dodger Stadium. The session represents a key milestone for the two-way superstar, who has not pitched in a game since July 3 due to inflammation in his left knee.

Manager Dave Roberts described the session as “really positive” and stated that Ohtani’s knee issues are “behind us.” The left-hander, who has an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts this season, faced only Smith, who is also recovering from an injury, in a controlled environment under the watch of pitching coach Mark Prior and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.

While the live session was a crucial checkmark in Ohtani’s rehab, Roberts indicated that the team does not expect an immediate game return. He stated he assumes there will be another live batting practice session before Ohtani is activated. “If it were up to Shohei, he’d be in a game in a few days,” Roberts said, emphasizing that the team will collaborate with Ohtani and the training staff to determine the next steps.

The Dodgers are intentionally pacing Ohtani’s return to...