LOS ANGELES — Barely 15 hours after hitting two home runs and leading the charge toward a comeback victory over the New York Yankees, Shohei Ohtani changed hats and went back to work Saturday afternoon.

In the latest step during his rehab from elbow surgery, Ohtani threw 29 pitches in a two-inning live batting practice session against minor-league hitters Kendall Simmons and Carlos Avila.

There was some good, like breaking a bat and recording a strikeout. But there were also signs that there is still plenty of work remaining with multiple spiked curveballs and a fight to stay in the strike zone.

“(He) came out of it well, which is most important,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think he wishes his command would have been a little bit better. But really positive day for Sho.”

The outing, just under four hours before first pitch of Saturday evening’s game against the Yankees, came after Ohtani threw 22 pitches in a live BP session last Sunday before a game against the Mets in at New York.

In a similar setup next weekend, Ohtani is expected to push closer to the 40-pitch mark. A more formal simulated game remains down the road.

“Looking (forward), you still gotta get to five or six innings,” Roberts said when asked about a timetable for Ohtani’s first MLB start since the second half of 2023 as a member of the Angels. “So we still got a ways to go.”

With 22 home runs and elite offensive production, all while Ohtani does everything necessary to become a pitcher again, his hard work is not lost on Roberts.

“I think the thing that’s most impressive is his ability to compartmentalize,” Roberts said. “I mean, he’s essentially doing the work of two players. And to still go out there and perform on the offensive side, it’s pretty remarkable.”

TOUGH BREAK

Mookie Betts was officially diagnosed with a toe fracture, and while he expected to miss the series against the Yankees, the club is not set on a trip to the injured list just yet.

Betts broke the tip of the fourth toe on his left foot when he kicked a piece of furniture at home this week.

“So it’s basically what (pain) he can tolerate,’ Roberts said. “The last couple days, it’s been hard for him to even put on a shoe. So that’s obviously why he’s not in the lineup. But I still … think day to day is fair right now.”

STEPPING ASIDE

Right-hander Evan Phillips used words like “heavy” and “disappointing” when talking about his upcoming Tommy John surgery, scheduled for Wednesday.

Phillips went on the injured list in early May and never progressed with elbow discomfort but said he was not resigned to Tommy John surgery until Thursday.

“It’s going to be hard to be away from the game for this long,” Phillips said Saturday. “Ultimately, there is not much I can do about it, and I do have that clear path forward to where we’ll attack this thing head on, rehab it, and hopefully get back to being a best version of myself in the second part of next year and be a part of that championship run.”

Phillips said he will have the full Tommy John surgery, leaving him out for 12-13 months. He is realistically targeting a return for after the 2025 All-Star break.

In parts of five seasons with the Dodgers, Phillips has 45 saves and a 2.22 ERA.

BACK STOPPING

The Dodgers placed right-hander Tyler Glasnow on the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster for catcher Chuckie Robinson, whom they claimed off waivers from the Angels. Robinson was designated for assignment Wednesday.

Glasnow, who is recovering from right shoulder inflammation, will not be eligible to return until late June. In his two seasons with the Dodgers, he is 10-6 with a 3.61 ERA in 27 starts.

Robinson, 30, was batting .272 with one home run and 18 RBIs in 27 games at Triple-A Salt Lake this season. He spent time with the Cincinnati Reds in 2022 and Chicago White Sox in 2024, batting .132 with two home runs and five RBIs in 51 major league games.

MUSIC MAN

Chappell Roan’s single “Pink Pony Club” is now a certified hit in more ways than one. On Friday, Michael Conforto switched from his regular walk-up song — “Lay Low” by Tiesto — to the Roan bop for Friday’s series opener and the move paid instant dividends with a second-inning single.

Why “Pink Pony Club?” With Conforto in an extended offensive downturn, some Dodgers players turned a one-hour bus ride last week to Newark Airport into a search for better fortune for their teammate.

“We all decided I needed a change,” Conforto said. “It was a team effort. There was a vote. I said I would do it until I made an out. So got a hit in the first at-bat. We’ll see if it sticks around.”

Conforto said there were a number of other options on the table, including a Miley Cyrus song. But by the end of Friday’s game, he was back to the sounds of Tiesto.

“We had fun with it,” Conforto said. “That’s just this team. Always just trying to have fun.”