Shohei Ohtani plans to throw his first bullpen this weekend as he aims to return to the mound from a one-season pitching layoff caused by elbow surgery.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani took a step in the right direction toward his return to pitching after surgery in 2023.

The decision is partly a matter of comfort, with Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto accustomed to pitching essentially once a week dating back to their time in Japan. It also factored prominently, the Dodgers believe, into their ability to land phenom Roki Sasaki this winter — like his countrymen, Sasaki is used to pitching on a once-per-week schedule.