Shohei Ohtani is back on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers, having made his first pitching appearance since 2023 earlier in the week. He only went one inning in his Dodgers debut on the mound, but he was toeing the rubber again on Sunday against the Washington Nationals.

After failing to record a strikeout in his season pitching debut against the San Diego Padres, he fanned two Nationals batters in the top of the first inning on Sunday, and as such, recorded the first two strikeouts of his pitching career with the Dodgers.

Here's a look at his first punch-out, in which he sat down Luis Garcia Jr. with a nasty breaking pitch:

Garcia wasn't able to check his swing as the pitch from Ohtani dropped down and in on the left-handed batter. Ohtani then ended the inning by striking out Washington first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.

The first strikeout of his career with the Dodgers was a long time coming. Ohtani served exclusively as the team's DH in 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He continued as the DH for the first two months of the season and is now in the process of being stretched out on the mound in order to fully return to his duties as a two-way star.

His first inning on Sunday was certainly an encouraging sign for what's to come.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shohei Ohtani Records First Dodgers Strikeout As Pitcher With Filthy Breaking Ball.

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