The Los Angeles Dodgers have just a little more than a month to go before they battle the Chicago Cubs in their season-opening series in Tokyo, Japan. Legions of fans naturally want to see countryman Shohei Ohtani pitch during this two-day spectacle. LA manager Dave Roberts already poured cold water over that possibility, but the three-time MVP is making important progress in his return to the mound.

Ohtani is throwing his first bullpen session of spring training, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale. He underwent elbow surgery in September of 2023 to repair a torn UCL and did not pitch at all during his record-setting 2024 campaign. Offseason shoulder surgery, which the 30-year-old required after suffering a torn left labrum in the World Series, has kept him in recovery mode. He is ready to get back to work, though.

Dodgers will soon have a two-way star at their disposal

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Assuming Ohtani continues to clear the necessary checkpoints, he is expected to pitch in MLB games at some point in May. The southpaw slugger and right-handed hurler is arguably the most unique talent to ever grace America's pastime, totaling 225 home runs and a .575 slugging percentage in 860 games while also notching a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings of work. Dodgers fans are thrilled to see their superstar display the full extent of his powers.

There are a couple of new prominent figures in town, as Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki beef up a starting rotation that is quite fearsome when healthy. The former brings immense credibility in the form of two Cy Young awards and two ERA titles, and the latter enters The Show as one of the most fascinating young talents in the sport today. Their collective star power adds to a roster that was already stuffed with it. But Shohei Ohtani remains “The Guy” in LA.

Although it will be easy for fans to become enthralled with the entire Dodgers squad, the founding member of the 50 homer and 50 stolen base club always manages to find a way to boggle minds. If he can once again manufacture offense at an elite level while earning the top pitching crown in the same season, an already unprecedented legacy will become exceptionally difficult to comprehend.