Shohei Ohtani News: Live bullpen pushed back to Sunday

The bullpen session against live hitters that Ohtani (elbow) was originally scheduled to throw pregame Saturday will instead take place Sunday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

The mound session will be a major step in Ohtani's journey to return to game action as a pitcher, as it will mark the first time he has faced hitters since he underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2023. Per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, the reason for the session moving from Saturday to Sunday is the late ending of Friday's game against the Mets, which included a 98-minute rain delay and went 13 innings, finishing just before 1:00 am ET. Ohtani went 1-for-5 with a walk and a run in the Dodgers' victory.