For all of the awards he received final season, and all of the methods he amazed the and their fan base in his first season with the membership, faces virtually as many questions as he embarks on the 2025 season.
After offseason shoulder surgical procedure to , will he be as explosive on the plate in his second marketing campaign in Los Angeles?
After being restricted to solely hitting in 2024, whereas recovering from a he underwent the 12 months prior, will he be as dominant on the mound in his return to pitching?
Most of all, in what will likely be his first season as a two-way participant once more since 2023, will he nonetheless be capable to deal with a taxing workload that no different big-leaguer has even tried for the reason that days of Babe Ruth?
Thus far, any last solutions stay unclear.
However on Friday night time, in his first Cactus League look of the preseason, the 30-year-old celebrity began to offer some promising indications. After one official spring at-bat, he already had his first 2025 house run.
So far as spring coaching video games go, Friday certified as a marquee contest. A packed crowd gathered at Camelback Ranch to look at the Dodgers and sq. off for the primary time. Dodgers catcher Will Smith was making his spring debut, after being held out of the primary week of video games due to a bone bruise on his ankle. Angels offseason signing was additionally kicking off his Cactus League marketing campaign, starting his preparation for the staff’s opening day begin within the common season. His counterpart, Dustin Might, was making his second spring begin amid a roster battle for the Dodgers’ No. 5 rotation spot.
Nothing, nevertheless, got here near matching the anticipation of Ohtani’s return.
Lower than 4 months in the past, the reigning Nationwide League MVP underwent his shoulder surgical procedure, repairing the within the World Sequence. Whereas that process set him barely delayed in his offseason coaching program, it was clear way back it wouldn’t value him time within the common season.
The actual unknown was how a lot the surgical procedure may affect Ohtani’s swing. Usually, the after-effects of a labrum tear can linger for a 12 months or extra. The Dodgers took solace in the truth that Ohtani’s harm occurred within the again shoulder of his swing, assured it will hamper him lower than if it’d occurred to his lead proper arm. However up till Friday, his solely reside swings this camp got here in backfield periods in opposition to minor-league arms.
“[Rehabbing] the shoulder, it’s a bit of bit extra sophisticated,” Ohtani stated by interpreter Will Ireton earlier this month, acknowledging that he nonetheless felt some discomfort close to the realm of the surgical procedure. “I do imagine that’s the half that I’ve to be affected person.”
On Friday night time, nevertheless, Ohtani’s first spotlight of the 12 months got here after no wait in any respect.
Batting leadoff in opposition to Kikuchi, a fellow Japanese star who went to the identical highschool as Ohtani, the slugger laid off a pair two-strike choices to work the depend full. Then, on an elevated center-cut fastball, he barreled up a fly ball into the Dodgers’ left-field bullpen. The second it left his bat, it was a no-doubt shot.
Ohtani flung his bat as he trotted out of the batter’s field. Whereas rounding third, he flashed the Dodgers’ dugout the identical hand-waving celebration that accompanied his 54 lengthy balls final 12 months.
That’s a complete Ohtani is unlikely to succeed in once more this season, as he’s anticipated to get extra common off-days as soon as he begins pitching in MLB video games someday in Might (if not sooner). Identical along with his 59 steals in 2024, which gave him the primary 50-homer, 50-steal season in MLB historical past.
“I don’t assume he’s going to get the identical variety of at-bats, plate appearances, provided that he’s going to be pitching,” stated. “I don’t assume he’s going to steal as many bases, simply appreciating the truth that he does have to pitch and saving his legs.”
Nonetheless, on a “per plate look” foundation, Roberts rapidly countered earlier than Friday’s recreation, “I nonetheless assume he might be simply as productive.”
“There’s some subtleties [in his swing] that he’s form of been engaged on from final 12 months, when he was actually good, to when he had the harm, to the place he’s at proper now,” Roberts added. “I believe he’s in a extremely great place.”
