Shohei Ohtani update restores hope for Dodgers (and MVP, Cy Young race)

The Los Angeles Dodgers still don’t know exactly when Shohei Ohtani will pitch again. For now, though, Wednesday brought the kind of update they desperately wanted to hear.

Ohtani threw a 31-pitch bullpen session at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, another encouraging step in his recovery from the left knee soreness that interrupted his season earlier this month. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported that Ohtani "looked to be throwing everything" in his arsenal.

There remains no definitive timetable for Ohtani's return to the mound, and he is still expected to miss at least a couple more turns through the rotation. But after the uncertainty surrounding the injury, simply seeing Ohtani back on a mound and progressing through his throwing program should restore some optimism for the Dodgers.

Shohei Ohtani’s latest step forward keeps Dodgers’ biggest hopes alive

Ohtani’s return could also have major implications on two of baseball’s biggest individual awards races. He was already making another compelling MVP case because of what he provides offensively, but the possibility of him returning to the mound and once again impacting games as a two-way star only makes his résumé more absurd.

The Cy Young conversation is a little more complicated. Any extended absence makes it increasingly difficult for Ohtani to accumulate the innings and starts necessary to seriously contend with pitchers who have been healthy all season. Every missed turn matters, especially this late in the year.

But the door isn’t completely closed. If Ohtani returns relatively soon and dominates down the stretch, voters are going to have an unusual evaluation to make. Few pitchers can match his combination of stuff, effectiveness and the degree of difficulty involved in doing all of this while also being one of the most dangerous hitters on the planet.

The bigger concern for the Dodgers, obviously, is October. They need Ohtani healthy enough to be a legitimate weapon in a postseason rotation. Knee soreness might sound relatively minor compared with the elbow issues that have defined his recent injury history, but the Dodgers have every reason to be cautious with the most valuable player in the sport.

Wednesday’s bullpen session doesn't provide a return date, but it does provide progress. And after Ohtani’s pitching season suddenly hit pause earlier this month, 31 pitches in Philadelphia were enough to make the Dodgers — and anyone watching the MVP and Cy Young races — feel a little more hopeful about what could still be coming.

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