How Shohei Ohtani Fared in First 2026 Dodgers Spring Training Start

The four-time MVP returned to the mound on Wednesday.

Shohei Ohtani made his first spring training start of the year. | Brandon Sloter/Getty Images

Shohei Ohtani is back on the mound ahead of the 2026 MLB season.

The Dodgers ace made his first start of the calendar year on Wednesday in the the team’s spring training game against the Giants. Ohtani appeared in one spring training game as the designated hitter before leaving camp to join Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic. Japan was upset in the quarterfinals by the eventual WBC champions, Venezuela. He has since returned to the Dodgers’ camp in Arizona.

Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts wanted Ohtani to pitch for three to four innings on Wednesday. Ohtani didn’t make a pitching start for Team Japan during the WBC, but did throw in the bullpen. So, Wednesday marked his first in-game pitching appearance since Nov. 1 during the World Series.

Ohtani ended up throwing 4 1/3 innings on Wednesday before Roberts turned to the bullpen. Here’s how the four-time MVP fared.

How Shohei Ohtani fared in first spring training start

The first inning was quick for Ohtani as he only threw five pitches. His first pitch to Jung Hoo Lee was a ball, and then he got Lee to fly out on the very next pitch. Ohtani then faced Patrick Bailey, who grounded out on just two pitches. Matt Chapman hit the first pitch Ohtani threw to him for another flyout to end the top half of the inning.

Ohtani recorded his first strikeout of the spring in the second inning with a trio of fastballs to Willy Adames, the last of which clocked in at 99 mph.

Shohei Ohtani collects his first #SpringTraining K with a 99-mph fastball 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/adGtN2yuQs

— MLB (@MLB) March 18, 2026

Ohtani also struck out Will Brennan in five pitches to end the second inning.

In the third inning, Ohtani ran into some trouble after hitting Luis Matos with an errant pitch and later walking Lee on four pitches. He was able to navigate his way out of the inning, however, striking out the next batter, Bailey, and getting Chapman to ground into a fielder’s choice.

Ohtani surrendered his second walk in what was an otherwise clean fourth inning. In the fifth frame, Ohtani enduced a groundout on the first batter he faced before Roberts came out to fetch him from the mound, replacing Ohtani with Edgardo Henriquez.

Through the 4 1/3 innings Ohtani pitched, the Giants failed to score any runs despite getting on base in all but the first inning. He threw four strikeouts, walked two batters and surrendered just one hit.

When will Ohtani pitch next

Roberts shared previously that the plan is for the Dodgers to start Ohtani one more time before the regular season begins next Thursday, March 26. Ohtani is expected to pitch either on Monday, March 23 or Tuesday, March 24 against the Angels in spring training.

Because Ohtani will get a late spring training start, there’s a good chance he won’t make his first regular season start until L.A.’s second series of the season against the Guardians, which begins on Monday, March 30. Roberts is planning to start Ohtani as the designated hitter on Opening Day, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto expected to be on the mound for the season opener.

Last season, Ohtani posted a 2.87 ERA over 14 regular season starts. In the postseason during the Dodgers’ World Series run, he also went 2-1 with a 4.43 ERA.

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