Shohei Ohtani Homers In Dodgers Spring Training Debut
It's easy to forget with Shohei Ohtani that he's just a few months removed from a major-elbow procedure.
Lost in the excitement, or frustration, with his massive, $700 million contract loaded with deferrals, was the reality that he's recovering from surgery, with no guarantee that he'd be ready for Opening Day. Well based on his debut spring training game with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he looks ready now.
The day started slowly for the 29-year-old superstar, with a strikeout looking in his first at-bat against White Sox reliever Garrett Crochet. He then hit a rocket in his second at bat, but right to the second baseman for a routine ground ball double play.
The third at bat though, was much, much better for Dodger fans. Facing non-roster invitee Dominic Leone, Ohtani worked the count full before launching a home run to left-center field.
The Ohtani/Dodgers hype train isn't just going full steam ahead, it's going 225mph bullet train ahead.
Feb 27, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) slaps hands with first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) after hitting a two run home run during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Dodgers And Shohei Ohtani In Regular Season Form Already
Spring training is essentially meaningless; teams are focused on evaluation, not performance. Pitchers are focused on building arm strength, durability and velocity. Often, they're under instructions on which pitches to throw and how to sequence them.
But if there's something to be learned from spring training results, it's health. And importantly for the Dodgers, Ohtani looks healthy heading into the regular season.
With the team's first official games just over three weeks away, that's an encouraging development and shows that his surgically repaired elbow hopefully won't be a nagging issue that zaps his power or bat speed. Considering all the other improvements the team made in the offseason, that has to be concerning for the rest of the league.
At least until we get to October and the randomness of small-sample size removes the vast majority of the Dodgers advantages in talent and position-player depth.