Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Was 'More Nervous' for Pitching Return Than Any Point as Hitter

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani takes pitching very seriously, so it shouldn't come as a major surprise that he was feeling some butterflies when he made his return to the mound after a one-year layoff following Tommy John surgery.

"It's interesting, as famous as he is, Ohtani said that he was more nervous than at any point as a position player when he made that first outing last Monday against San Diego," ESPN's Buster Olney reported during Sunday's SportsCenter.

Ohtani allowed one run on two hits in his lone inning of work, as the Dodgers ramp him back up slowly. He'll make his second start on Sunday against the Washington Nationals.

"I did hit 100 today, so I want to see first where my body feels and how it reacts," he told reporters after his first start. "But the expectation is for me to go once a week, hopefully to be able to go a little longer every time I'm out there so that the bullpen won't be so taxed."

For a Dodgers team that has been beset by injuries in the rotation, yet again, his return to pitching was a welcome development. And now he's probably worked those nerves out.