The expectation was he’d pitch after the All-Star break in July, but with the Dodgers pitching staff gashed by injuries, the team opted to give Ohtani the green light.

It had been 663 days between pitching appearances, depriving baseball fans of the famed wicked four-seam fastball and splitter that they have marveled at from the sport’s most unique player.

The last time Shohei Ohtani took the mound was in August of 2023 when he was still playing for the Los Angeles Angels.

Watch highlights in the San Francisco Giants 5-4 loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday at Dodger Stadium, including Daniel Johnson's first homer with the team.Giants vs Dodgers highlights: Jo

Nearly 22 months after making his previous big league start, 21 months after undergoing a second major surgery on his right elbow and 18 months after signing a then-record contract with the Dodgers, ...