Shohei Ohtani reported for the start of Los Angeles Dodgers Spring Training well ahead of when position players were formally due in camp, and since then he’s been the main draw at Camelback Ranch.
Soon after arriving in Arizona, Ohtani advanced from taking swings against flips to hitting off a pitching machine. Then as the Dodgers got into full-squad workouts, the two-way superstar started taking batting practice on the field.
The past two days, Ohtani was listed on the Dodgers’ workout schedule as being among the players who would take live batting practice. He failed to do so in both instances but the Dodgers have maintained health is not an issue.
Although Ohtani twice has skipped taking live BP when listed, manager Dave Roberts reiterated health is not an issue and the team is simply looking to provide the option of facing pitchers, per According to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“He’s healthy,” Roberts said of Ohtani. “We’re just giving him the opportunity that if he wants to be out there and take live batting practice, great and if he chooses not to and just works in the cage, that’s fine too. But his health, everything is fantastic.”
Ohtani’s Spring Training schedule followed a cadence of hitting on the field every other day. However, that changed Sunday as he only stretched with teammates before walking off the backfields as droves of fans looked on.
It’s presumed Ohtani took swings in the Dodgers’ new indoor hitting facility at Camelback Ranch, or went through a workout in the weight room adjacent to their clubhouse.
“It’s not going to be every day, but it will be more often than in-season,” Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara after hist first time taking on-field batting practice with the Dodgers.
“I’ll be mostly doing my hitting work in the cage and if there’s something I need to check on, that’s when I’ll go outside. … When I hit outside it’s more to check the strength and how strong I’m feeling. When I’m inside, it’s more technical stuff.”
Shohei Ohtani missing Dodgers’ first Spring Training game
The Dodgers and Ohtani are focused on getting him prepared for the start of the regular season, which is with the Seoul Series from March 20-21, and thus Cactus League games are less of a concern.
The expectation is Ohtani will play in exhibition games but he’s already been ruled out of the Dodgers’ Spring Training opener on Thursday.
Ohtani is not only recovering from undergoing right elbow surgery last September, but he also deal with irritation in his right oblique.
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