Dodgers stars notice major Shohei Ohtani mental shift as pitching return looms

Shohei Ohtani has several reasons to smile again.For one, the Dodgers are 7-3 in their last 10 games, making their brutal stretch earlier this month seem like a distant memory.And Ohtani is now back on the mound after being sidelined as a pitcher since early July because of a lingering knee injury.Dodgers stars Mookie Betts and Miguel Rojas spoke about how Ohtani’s return to pitching has altered his headspace for the better, which they discussed during an “On Base with Mookie Betts” podcast episode that aired on Thursday.

“Shohei is a different guy when he’s able to put his glove on and go out there and throw,” Rojas said.“Seeing him this year made me understand how much he loves pitching,” Betts added.“I really believe it makes him happy.

And if he’s happy, and he’s in a good headspace, he’s going to help the team.And that’s what we all care about,” Rojas added.

“What I see in Shohei right now is that he’s happy because he’s able to put that glove [on] again… You always see him messing with that glove, and putting it right here, and starting to put a baseball in it, and started cleaning his glove.”“He can be himself!” Betts said.Ohtani threw a simulated 30-pitch live batting practice session on Saturday, marking the first time he has faced hitters since July 3.

A video of Shohei letting out a huge laugh on the mound is making waves on social media Saturday, indicating that he’s overjoyed to be back pitching.Ohtani won’t be the only one smiling when he can finally pitch in a game again....