'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Shohei Ohtani returned to the mound after almost two and a half years and pitched the first inning against the Padres on Monday. Although he couldn't get a strikeout, Ohtani showed off his velocity, with one of his pitches exceeding 100 mph.
Ohtani's return to the mound comes at an apt time for the Dodgers, who have Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and more on the injured list. Many expect Ohtani to be a starting pitcher, but Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez isn't one of them.
"If Ohtani told you he could pitch one or two innings for now, which is exactly what I would love to see him stay for the rest of his career so that he can continue to do the things he does with the bat, with his legs, and everything else, and the charisma he brings," Martinez said on his interview with Xavier Scurggs on B/R Walkoff on Tuesday (from 23:52).
Trending
Martinez wants Shohei Ohtani to eventually transition into a reliever, saving 30 games in an MLB season. The Red Sox Hall of Famer noted that Ohtani won't settle for good, but great. So, he believes the Dodgers superstar can't be great if he becomes a starting pitcher.
"I would love to preserve Ohtani being a two-way player, but in order for him to do that, he cannot be a starter. Not that he cannot do it for maybe one year or two, but I would love to see a long career from Ohtani pitching and hitting," Martinez added.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner suggested that the Dodgers should use Ohtani as an opener and, in high-leverage spots, pitch an inning or two. He believes the 30-year-old shouldn't pitch more than three innings in a game.
Ex-Yankees coach expects great things from Shohei Ohtani
Like many in the MLB community, Reds Hall of Famer and former Yankees batting coach Sean Casey is excited for Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound after 22 months. He also believes that Ohtani will be better than ever,
"I just think, like I said, having that internal brace put in, the new procedure with these UCLs, I think he's going to be better than ever," Casey said on "The Mayor's Office with Sean Casey "on Tuesday (From 3:26).
"So it's just great. It's a great sign for the Dodgers. It's, it's, it's, uh, you know, it's great how they've brought him back, that they're good enough to not totally have to rely on him," he added.
Casey also noted that the return of Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player is great for baseball, boldly claiming that he is the unicorn the MLB community had been waiting for.
