Shohei Ohtani completed a bullpen session of about 30 pitches, taking a positive step toward his mound return.

Shohei Ohtani had been set to take the mound for today's series finale against Philadelphia. Although his persistent left knee problem has led the Dodgers to delay his pitching return indefinitely, the two-way star did complete pitches on the mound at Citizens Bank Park—just not during the game, but rather in the bullpen.

Ohtani held his first bullpen session in two weeks today, throwing roughly 30 pitches that seemed to feature his full arsenal. Pitching coach Mark Prior described the intensity as similar to the routine bullpen work Ohtani does between starts.

"It looked good, and he felt good. We'll check on him tomorrow," Prior said. "There's not much more to elaborate on right now. He'll continue playing as a hitter today and follow his usual training schedule."

Stepping back onto the mound represents a step forward for Ohtani, but his timeline for rejoining the Dodgers' starting rotation remains unclear. Monitoring his physical response after this first bullpen session will help determine the next steps in his recovery.

Manager Dave Roberts initially said the plan was for Ohtani to throw a bullpen this weekend at Citi Field in New York, but his recovery felt good enough to move the session up by a few days.

"I think we all understand that players know their bodies best," Roberts said. "He knows his body inside out. If he feels ready to get on the mound, we fully support that. For us, the most important thing is not to push or rush him."

Ohtani's left knee issue first surfaced during the Dodgers' road game against the Pirates on June 11. Since then, he mainly experienced persistent soreness while pitching, with less impact on his hitting, so he continued to start weekly until he was pulled from his final first-half start on July 10.

The Dodgers had hoped that a lubricating injection in the knee, combined with four days off during the All-Star break, would allow Ohtani to resume his weekly pitching schedule at the start of the second half. However, Ohtani still felt discomfort in his knee during flat-ground throwing, so the team decided to temporarily remove him from the rotation with no set return date.

Roberts said Ohtani's knee felt better after the injection, and he continued to play catch even during the pitching hiatus. Maintaining his throwing condition without aggravating the knee is crucial for Ohtani, because the longer he stays out of the rotation, the more he risks losing the pitching volume he had built up.

"I still think his absence hasn't been long enough to significantly affect the pitch count base he's accumulated," Roberts said. "But even so, I can't imagine him throwing 100 pitches in his first start back."

Although Ohtani's innings pitched this season aren't enough to qualify for the ERA leaderboard, he is undoubtedly one of the best starters in the league, with an 8-2 record and a 1.79 ERA. However, since the start before his knee issue first appeared, his performance has declined, allowing 14 runs (12 earned) over his last 24.2 innings.

The knee problem has affected Ohtani's pitching far more than his hitting, leading the Dodgers to believe it is a significant factor in his recent pitching struggles. Ohtani has been working to adjust his mechanics to reduce the impact on his left knee.

"I think he's trying to adjust his delivery to execute pitches better," Prior said. "Ultimately, that's what the game is about. I feel his mechanics have gotten a bit off, affecting certain aspects. But at the end of the day, when his mechanics are in sync, his pitch execution improves significantly. That's what we're aiming for right now."