For the first time in 21 months, Shohei Ohtani was able to do what makes him such an anomaly among big leaguers: pitch.

Exactly 663 days since he last pitched in a Major League game, the Dodgers superstar returned to the mound on Monday night—and quickly unleashed some eye-popping stuff.

Shohei Ohtani (the pitcher) is back, while Shohei Ohtani (the hitter) continues to rake. Ohtani last pitched in 2023 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Between starts, all he did was hit 54 home runs,

The Los Angeles Dodgers got Shohei Ohtani back on the mound, but he won't be at full strength as a pitcher for a while. When he is at that point, here's what their rotation might look like.

One aspect that works in the Dodgers' favor here: Ohtani's two-way player status. He doesn't count against Los Angeles' 13-pitcher roster limit, meaning that the Dodgers will be able to navigate his truncated appearances with a full support staff.

Even as the Dodgers are getting back Shohei Ohtani on the mound,  the banged-up Los Angeles pitching staff suffered another blow. The Dodgers announced Ohtani will start on Monday night against the Padres,

It had been some time since Shohei Ohtani had left the yard, so he made up for lost time on Saturday night. Ohtani hit a pair of home runs -- including the 250th of his career -- to back a vintage performance from Clayton Kershaw,