Shohei Ohtani has taken the biggest step yet (or, at least, as of late) in his process to return as a pitcher from an ongoing left knee injury.

Before Friday’s game at Dodger Stadium, the two-way star threw his first bullpen session in more than three weeks, pitching off the mound in the Dodgers’ left-field bullpen a couple hours before he was set to serve as designated hitter in their lineup against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Shohei Ohtani has taken the biggest step yet (or, at least, as of late) in his process to return as a pitcher from an ongoing left knee injury. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Ohtani hasn’t made a pitching start since July 3 because of a knee injury that first began affecting him in mid-June. During the All-Star break, he received a lubricant injection in his knee that the team hoped would allow him to quickly return to its rotation. However, he suffered “regression” with his knee following a July 22 bullpen session in Philadelphia, prompting the Dodgers to shut him down from all on-field throwing activities for the following two weeks.

Ohtani resumed pregame catch play in the outfield last week, throwing three such sessions in recent days.

Earlier this week, manager Dave Roberts also indicated that Ohtani was getting closer to a bullpen session, bolstering the team’s hopes of having the four-time MVP return to pitching before the end of the season.

Now that Ohtani has checked off that important box, his road map to returning to the Dodgers’ rotation should be clearer.

According to Roberts, the right-hander will likely need “a few ‘pens” before he faces hitters again in live batting practice. Once he completes a live BP, however, he could be ready to return to game-action, where he will be built up one inning at a time –– similar to his midseason ramp-up last year when he was returning from a second career Tommy John surgery.

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