Fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers can wince in horror at Shohei Ohtani's latest social media update as the MLB star reveals he's still struggling with his elbow and shoulder, months

The decision is partly a matter of comfort, with Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto accustomed to pitching essentially once a week dating back to their time in Japan. It also factored prominently, the Dodgers believe, into their ability to land phenom Roki Sasaki this winter — like his countrymen, Sasaki is used to pitching on a once-per-week schedule.

Shohei Ohtani is ready to begin his pitching comeback, and the Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander said Wednesday that he will throw a bullpen session this weekend.