Shohei Ohtani's simple IG message after return to mound will fire up Dodgers fans

Shohei Ohtani made his Dodgers pitching debut on Monday night against the Padres, about a month or so before the vague "after the All-Star break" timeline the Dodgers had provided fans with.

Despite giving up two hits and a run on a sac fly for Manny Machado, it was undeniable that Ohtani still has the goods to be a successful major league pitcher. His fastest pitch was thrown at 100.2 MPH, his fastball still had great movement, and he induced soft contact from all of the batters he faced.

Ohtani was replaced by Anthony Banda, then Ben Casparius after just one inning. Although fans would've loved to see more, the Dodgers must tread carefully and improvise with his return to full power.

After the game, Ohtani posted a simple message on Instagram, a carousel of himself on the mound and warming up in the bullpen with a two-word caption: "I'm back."

Ohtani's always made it pretty clear that his first love in baseball is pitching. A goal sheet he filled out as a freshman in high school went viral a few years ago and exclusively mentions his goals as a pitcher rather than a hitter. Now, after almost two years, he's finally getting to do it again.

Shohei Ohtani celebrates his return on Instagram after Dodgers pitching debut

On the other side of the ball, Ohtani picked up two hits and two RBI, the first of which was a game-tying double off of Dylan Cease. His performance raised his batting average back to .300 for the first time since May 23.

The Dodgers have said that communication will be the key to giving Ohtani a longer leash on the mound, but even though he probably already feels like he could pitch through five or six, the Dodgers will have to rein him in. It seems likely that we'll watch Ohtani work through a rehab assignment at the major league level; one inning for a few starts, then two, then maybe four, and so on.

It just speaks to Ohtani's confounding talent. He's been facing batters for about a month, but to make his first start in two years and throw over 100 MPH before immediately going back to the dugout to prepare to hit? It's unheard of, and no one else in baseball could do it.

Ohtani's post reads like a celebration to Dodgers fans, but like a threat to everyone else. He's so back.