For the first time since Shohei Ohtani put on a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform, it finally feels like his return to pitching is close. On Tuesday, Ohtani took a major step in his recovery, throwing a three inning simulated game against minor leaguers at Petco Park ahead of the Dodgers' second game of their series against the San Diego Padres.

Suddenly, the Los Angeles Dodgers need Shohei Ohtani not only to pitch, but to pitch as much as he can. It's been almost 21 months since Ohtani graced the mound in a regular-season game. Since then, he's had elbow surgery,

The Dodgers still don't seem in a rush with Shohei Ohtani, even as he makes steady progress toward returning to a big league mound