A newly released timelapse video has given fans a rare look at Shohei Ohtani’s incredible ability to switch roles mid-game. The clip, filmed during a recent matchup, captures the seamless transition as Ohtani wraps up his inning on the mound, then quickly gears up to bat as the team’s leadoff hitter in the next frame. The sped-up footage shows him jogging to the dugout, changing equipment, and stepping into the batter’s box—all in a matter of moments. Fans online are calling it a “perfect snapshot” of why Ohtani is considered one of the most extraordinary two-way players in baseball history.
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)
Shohei Ohtani is a one-of-a-kind player who rarely comes around.
Ohtani is a unique and historic two-way player in Major League Baseball, excelling as both a pitcher and a hitter.
He is so good that he became the first player in MLB history to be named an All-Star as both a pitcher and a designated hitter.
Ohtani, who made his seventh start of the season on Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals, pitched four innings and went crazy at the plate. He struck out eight batters, allowing no walks and just one earned run.
At the plate, Shohei Ohtani belted a two-run homer to give himself some run support in the bottom of the third inning.
At one point during the game, Ohtani struck out a Cardinals batter to end the inning, and then, without even going to the dugout, he got ready to lead off the next inning.
Shohei Ohtani Finally Returns To The Mound In 2025
Shohei Ohtani (Image Credit: Imagn Images)
It took some time, but Shohei Ohtani finally got back to doing what he also does best: Pitching.Ohtani returned to the pitcher’s mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 16, 2025. This moment came after a nearly two-year absence due to elbow surgery.
It marked his first pitching appearance in a Dodger uniform and his first since 2023.
He was clearly a little rusty as he gave up a pair of two-strike hits and a run in his Los Angeles Dodgers pitching debut against the San Diego Padres.
Shohei was kept on a short leash as he threw 28 pitches — 16 for strikes — in the first inning.
“I was aiming to sit 95-96,” Shohei Ohtani said through a translator at the time, “but the game intensity really allowed me to throw a little harder.”
