Ohtani Nears Full Return as Dodgers Eye Postseason

Shohei Ohtani's return to pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers is progressing well, highlighted by a recent outing with a 101.7 mph fastball and two scoreless innings as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers are incrementally increasing his pitching workload, targeting late August or September for him to be fully built up ahead of the postseason. Ohtani will likely skip this year's Home Run Derby to avoid injury due to the event's demanding format. Dodgers management plans to rotate pitchers around Ohtani's starts to manage innings and maintain team momentum heading into the All-Star break and trade deadline. This careful handling could influence the team's trade strategies and postseason outlook. Despite recent injuries, Ohtani's performance stands out as the Dodgers maintain one of the best records in MLB.