Shohei Ohtani is aiming to regain his pitching side, this time with the Dodgers.

The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani took the mound on Saturday.

Shohei Ohtani ignited some early season enthusiasm for the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday in spring training. But not because of smacking a home run.

He dipped into an old trait of his: Pitching.

Ohtani has gone nearly two years without throwing heat on the mound. But Ohtani flamed a pitch that hit 94 miles per hour, as captured by USA Today MLB columnist Bob Nightengale. Furthermore, the MLB X account captured Ohtani taking the mound warming up to throw.

FIRST LOOK: Shohei Ohtani is back on the mound throwing his first bullpen of Spring Training.

The right-handed Ohtani is yet to deliver strikes for the Dodgers. He arrived to Chavez Ravine fresh off elbow surgery from his Los Angeles Angels days.

That ailment prevented him from setting foot on the hill and staring down batters. Ohtani even is recovering from a non-throwing shoulder injury — a partrially torn labrum that he sustained during the World Series after sliding into second base.

However, he launched his personal process in getting back into the pitching lineup before Saturday. Ohtani threw on flat ground to before Saturday, per the Associated Press.

When was the last time the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani pitched?

Ohtani hasn’t thrown heat since Aug. 23, 2023 — way before he signed his blockbuster $700 million contract in joining the Dodgers.

The Cincinnati Reds represent the last team that dealt with Ohtani on the mound. Ohtani fanned two Reds batters, striking out the second batter Matt McClain on an 84 MPH splitter then Elly De La Cruz on the same pitch, but one that hit 85 MPH.

Ohtani threw in 1.1 innings before Tyler Anderson stepped in.

The former Angels star smacked one home run that game. Ohtani additionally drove two runners in. But the Reds handed Ohtani and the Halos a 9-4 loss.

With Ohtani back on the mound, will this mean he’ll be ready for the season opener on March 18? Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters he hopes Ohtani will be cleared “sooner or later” to throw.

Ohtani brought his most damage with the bat in hand. He played in 159 of the Dodgers’ 162 games and pounded 54 home runs. Ohtani earned his third Most Valuable Player award after the year.

Ohtani even joined the “50-50” club by smashing more than 50 homers but also stealing 59 bases.

If the 30-year-old Ohtani gets the greenlight to pitch, he’ll aim to get the Chicago Cubs to swing and miss near his hometown.

The 30-year-old grew up in Oshu, Iwate, located nearly 280 miles south from the site of MLB’s Tokyo Series the Tokyo Dome.