Shohei Ohtani pitched for the first time in a Dodger uniform and took another major step in his recovery from his second surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament in 2023. The Dodgers superstar pitched just one inning which had been widely expected giving up one run on two hits in 28 pitches, with Los Angeles eventually defeating the Padres, 6-3, on Monday. During the brief appearance, Ohtani turned to his fastball 32.1 percent of the time and hit a maximum velocity of 100.2 mph. Shohei Ohtani throws a pitch during the first inning of the Dodgers game against the Padres on June 16. Getty Images Shohei Ohtani walks to the dugout during the Dodgers game against the Padres on June 16. Getty Images Fernando Tatis Jr. singled to right field in a six-pitch at-bat as Ohtani faced his first batter in a game since Aug. 23, 2023. The second hit against Ohtani came on the next at-bat with Luis Arrez at the plate. The decision to get Ohtani back on the mound on Monday stunned just about everyone, including Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia, who that he had no idea that today was when the two-way player was Reggie Jackson Jersey going to return to the mound. Explore More Manager Dave Roberts had hinted on Sunday night that Ohtani could be back on the mound in the near future, and then the Dodgers made the stunning announcement later that same evening that the baseball superstar would start against the rival Padres. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters on Monday prior to Ohtanis first start in more than 14 months, that after seeing how he pitched in his simulated games, it was time to get him back on the mound. It got to the point where, hey, it feels like we should take that next step and almost look to finish the rehab at the major league level, Gomes said. There is no playbook for this, so it has to be an ongoing conversation. Shohei Ohtani reacts during the first inning of the Dodgers game against the Padres on June 16. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Roberts added that Ohtani had indicated that he was ready to move to the next phase of his rehab and had done all he could do in simulated games. Its more like, well, I dont think theres anything else to do. Im ready to go. What else do I need to do to get on a major league mound? Roberts said. While Ohtani hasnt pitched since 2023, he has still been a dominant hitter at the plate. Ohtani has hit .300 this season with 25 home runs and 43 RBIs. Luke Kennard Jersey