It sounds like the Los Angeles Dodgers could very well get Shohei Ohtani back on the mound in the not-so-distant future.
Ohtani hasn't made a start for the Dodgers since July 3. When he has pitched, he has been great. Ohtani has 14 starts under his belt so far this season and a 1.79 ERA. On top of this, he has a 95-to-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 85 2/3 innings pitched.
Before he had to pause his pitching, he looked like a legit contender for the National League Cy Young Award. The Dodgers have been missing that. But fortunately, he has made progress.
Ohtani threw off a mound for the first time since July 22 on Friday, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
"A trio of rehabbing Dodgers took big steps forward ahead of Friday night's game against the Brewers at Dodger Stadium: Two-way star Shohei Ohtani threw his first bullpen session since restarting his throwing program, while catchers Will Smith and Dalton Rushing took batting practice on the field for the first time since going on the injured list," Chen wrote. "Ohtani threw 34 pitches and used his full mix. It was his first time throwing off a mound since July 22 in Philadelphia, when he experienced a setback during his bullpen session that led to him being shut down from throwing for 2 1/2 weeks.
"Ohtani resumed playing catch on Saturday at Chase Field and has thrown regularly since, making steady progress."
For as good as the Dodgers are, they need Ohtani back on the mound if they want to live up to their potential this season. It sounds like he's trending in that direction.