Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani wobbled through a 28-pitch first inning at home against the San Diego Padres on Monday in his first appearance on the mound since August 2023. Scheduled to throw as many as two innings,

Shohei Ohtani could return to a major league mound in the next two weeks but Los Angeles Dodgers rookie right-hander Roki Sasaki has paused his throwing program and is set for a lengthy layoff.

Ohtani helped the Dodgers win their eighth World Series title — and his first — last season, the first of a $700 million, 10-year contract.

Aaron Judge, the slugger who leads the majors in batting average, and Shohei Ohtani, who have combined to win five of the last eight Most Valuable Player awards, are lapping the rest of Major League Baseball in the first batch of All-Star Game balloting.