This one might just be on top of all the things that go viral in a baseball season. Not a record-breaking stat, a clutch strikeout, or a soaring home run. It’s something at the edge of predictability. Amidst the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ great start this season, a new and bizarre celebration is lighting up the dugout. At the heart of it all? Shohei Ohtani—not as a slugger, but as the face of a skincare advertisement.

The Dodgers are no strangers to their whimsical and jolly post-hit celebrations. And now, they’ve taken this to another level by giving Ohtani a playful, cheeky nudge. It all traces back to an advertisement for Decorté facial moisturizer featuring Shotime.

In that commercial, Ohtani is affectionately sliding the bottle across his face, topped with a playful wink. Now, when the Dodgers hit any extra-base hit or home run, they were found imitating Ohtani’s moves from the ad—moving a bottle of their own across their faces, enjoying post-hit celebrations.

Max Muncy, Dodgers’ third baseman, shed light on these playful antics and said, “That’s usually how those types of celebrations start.” He continued, “It’s just a little moment that everyone had a laugh at. And you just kind of make fun of it… and you just roll with it.” Yes, they sure rolled with it.

And if you hear it from Ohtani himself, you’d know how much he likes to play along. “I think it’s good for them to tease me and get excited. I think the atmosphere is good,” he reacted.

The atmosphere is definitely as good as the Dodgers sitting at 10-4 on the season.

And all of these are making one thing clear: The Dodgers never fail to prove that winning is more fun when you know how to celebrate it well. The celebrations are in full swing, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen Ohtani on the mound, right?

What exactly is delaying Shohei Ohtani’s pitching comeback?

If you’ve been keeping tabs, you’d know that it’s been around a year and a half since Ohtani underwent elbow surgery. And while he’s been delivering remarkably as a hitter, his return to the mound is still on hold.

Recently, he threw a bullpen session under the observation of Dodgers trainers. Turns out, he was able to throw only fastballs and splitters, but no breaking balls. Through an interpreter, Ohtani reportedly stated, “I’m still at the stage in which I have limits on the types of pitches I can throw and limits on speed.” If you think about it, Ohtani hasn’t thrown breaking balls off a mound yet.

His upcoming notable breakthrough will be offering live batting sessions to the hitters. It’s something he almost achieved right before his throwing program was put on hold in last year’s playoff run.

It’s widely expected in Dodgerland that Ohtani won’t be making his pitching comeback until the end of June. Ever wondered why it’s taking so long? You see, throughout his journey, Ohtani has consistently met the expectations and redefined the game every now and then. But what’s really holding him back this time is the fact that this is his second elbow surgery, after he underwent Tommy John at the end of the 2018 season. So ultimately, the primary factor behind his delay to the mound is caution.

As a result, teams must be extra considerate while planning a return timeline for the players who have previously undergone surgery. Balancing the demands of an MVP-caliber bat and the grindstone of pitching rehab is no cakewalk. Until June, both Ohtani and the Dodgers are determined to get it just right, even if it costs some more time.