Shohei Ohtani Did Not Hide Frustration on Mound Against Manny Machado originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
All eyes were on Shohei Ohtani Monday night, as he made his pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
An elbow surgery has forced Ohtani to be away from the mound for over a year, but he finally got the green light to pitch in an MLB game again, as he started for Los Angeles in the series opener versus the visiting San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers are still taking a careful approach on Ohtani, which was why he pitched for just an inning opposite the Padres.
In one of the most anticipated moments in the game, Ohtani faced off against San Diego star Manny Machado, who got behind the count through three pitches from the Japanese superstar.
On a two-strike pitch, Ohtani seemed as though he got Machado to strike out, but first-base umpire Ryan Blakney ruled a check swing, keeping the San Diego third baseman at the plate.
Ohtani showed his unhappiness over that call, as he raised his arms out of frustration.
Shohei Ohtani was NOT HAPPY after this checked swing from Manny Machado was ruled a no swing 😳
Via @SportsNetLApic.twitter.com/tWHWMqIghB
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) June 17, 2025
Three pitches later, Machado had a sacrifice fly that sent Fernando Tatis Jr. home for the game’s first run. Ohtani finished the inning by recording groundouts on Gavin Sheets and Xander Bogaerts.
All told, Ohtani threw for 28 pitches (16 for strikes) and allowed an earned run on two hits.
Ohtani and the Dodgers still got the last laugh in the game, as they scored a 6-3 victory to extend their win streak to three games, which started in the previous series versus the San Francisco Giants.
The reigning American League Most Valuable Player went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk in the Padres game, as he raised his season batting average to .300 and his OPS to 1.039.
Related: Shohei Ohtani Set to Break Dodgers Record With Start vs. Padres
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.