Shohei Ohtani is moving ever closer to his first pitching appearance for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday there’s now a chance his fans might not even have to wait until the All-Star break.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pitched a three-inning simulated game on Tuesday, increasing optimism about his return to the mound in the major leagues.

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.

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Andy Pages led off the 10th inning with an RBI double before scoring on Tommy Edman's single, and the Dodgers hung on to open their season series against the Padres with an 8-7 victory Monday night.