National Sports.

Shohei Ohtani took a significant step Sunday toward making his pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The two-way superstar faced hitters for the first time since elbow surgery, throwing 22 pitches at Citi Field about 4 1/2 hours before launching a leadoff homer in a 3-1 loss to the New York Mets. With dozens of reporters watching from the stands, Ohtani threw to five batters in a simulated setting — including teammates Hyeseong Kim and Dalton Rushing. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and pitching coach Mark Prior watched closely from the field. Ohtani isn’t expected to pitch in a major league game until after the All-Star break.

Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to face hitters this weekend for the first time in his recovery from right elbow surgery. The two-way superstar originally planned to throw live batting practice Saturday afternoon at Citi Field before the Los Angeles Dodgers play the New York Mets. But after the Dodgers needed 13 innings to win 7-5 on Friday night in a rain-delayed game that ended about 1 a.m., manager Dave Roberts told reporters Ohtani decided to push back the session to Sunday because of the long, late night. It’s the next step for Ohtani as he works toward returning to the mound. He had right elbow surgery on Sept. 19, 2023, and hasn’t pitched in a major league game since Aug. 23 that year for the Los Angeles Angels.