Shohei Ohtani showed everyone that his elbow is just fine after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery in 2023.
In his third start of the 2025 season against the Royals on Saturday, Ohtani fired a fastball at 101.7 mph for the fastest pitch of his MLB career. He looked sharp overall in two innings of work as he continues to build up the length of his outings.
The Dodgers are going to need Ohtani to perform well in the second half since their starting rotation has been ravaged by injuries. The right-hander’s velocity on Saturday had to be a positive sign for manager Dave Roberts.
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Here’s a look at Shohei Ohtani’s third start of the season against the Royals.
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Shohei Ohtani stats today vs. Royals
Ohtani threw two scoreless innings against Kansas City, striking out one and walking one. He allowed one hit and no earned runs in his third start since returning to the mound. Here’s a look at his stat line:
| IP | Pitches | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO |
| 2.0 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
This was Ohtani’s best performance as a pitcher so far in 2025. He averaged 98.8 mph with his fastball and got two whiffs with his slider. At the plate, Ohtani struck out twice before exiting as a pitcher.
Ohtani’s 27 pitches were one short of his season high, which came in his first start of the season versus the Padres. He threw 18 pitches in his last start against the Nationals. Ohtani has now pitched four innings across his three outings this seasons.
Shohei Ohtani highlights vs. Royals
The main highlight from Ohtani’s outing was a 101.7-mph fastball that turned into an inning-ending double play in the first. It was the fastest pitch thrown by a Dodger this season and Ohtani’s career. On the pitch before, he fired a 100.2-mph fastball,
Shohei Ohtani’s 102 mph pitch is the fastest by a Dodger this season. 😳 pic.twitter.com/kJtxGfP8cY
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 28, 2025
Ohtani worked a 1-2-3 second frame, including a strikeout of Jac Caglianone, to complete the scoreless appearance.
