SHOHEI IS COOKING: Dodgers' Two-Way Monster Just Fired 35 Pitches in a Massive Step Toward Return

The Dodgers just got the kind of update that makes October feel real.

Shohei Ohtani stepped on a mound and let it rip Friday for the first time in more than three weeks — a 35-pitch bullpen session that has Los Angeles buzzing and manager Dave Roberts feeling like a kid on Christmas morning.

Ohtani, 32, has been stuck in the designated hitter lane while nursing that left knee injury since July 3. But after Friday's session, the two-way superstar is cranking up the comeback machine. Roberts revealed that Ohtani threw his entire pitch mix and, if all goes according to plan, the next step is one or two more bullpens, followed by at least two live sessions before he ever steps foot in a Major League game again.

Innings? Think 'Opener' Mode

Don't expect Ohtani to go deep into games right away. Roberts said the plan is to deploy him in one-inning stints — even as an opener — when he returns to the bump. That's not a slow crawl; that's a calculated missile launch.

“I’m pretty confident that if we stay the course, he’ll throw a [bullpen session] in two, three, four, five days, and then if we get out of that, I think we’ll be out of the woods,” Roberts said.

Forget “out of the woods” — the rest of the NL should be terrified.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Ohtani still did DH duties Friday and went 0-for-3 with a walk, but his season line is still elite: .290/.390/.540 with 27 homers and 74 RBIs. And when he's actually on the mound? He's been untouchable: 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 85⅔ innings.

The Dodgers already looked dangerous. A healthy Ohtani on the mound? That's a cheat code.