Shohei Ohtani enjoyed a successful 2025 Spring Training debut but unbeknownst to him was a surprise as he walked out to leave Camelback Ranch.
Upon getting to his car, Ohtani was greeted with plastic balls spilling out once he opened the door. Each of them had a picture of Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sitting on the miniature Porsche ‘car’ that Ohtani gifted to him as part of a prank earlier this spring.
Also included in Roberts’ prank was a picture of him laughing.
Dave pranked Shohei back. 😂 pic.twitter.com/28ryuo5OtF
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 1, 2025
Decoy is the real winner from the prank Dave Roberts pulled on Shohei Ohtani. https://t.co/4lXXpB82GK pic.twitter.com/rgfaQ5lpss
— Matthew Moreno (@Matthew__Moreno) March 1, 2025
The Dodgers’ social media team captured the entire incident and showed a pre-recorded message Roberts had for Ohtani.
“Alright, Shohei. You got me the first round. I told you, you know what they say about payback,” he said in the video. “So what I have done is, you see this pretty face right here? That’s me with all these balls. I put all these balls in your car, so enjoy it, keep these pictures and have fun cleaning your car out.”
Ohtani took the prank in stride and acknowledged he and Roberts were “now tied” for pranks.
As for matters in Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani hit a home run in his first of three at-bats. The Dodgers rallied for a walk-off win thanks to Dalton Rushing’s two-run double in the bottom of the ninth.
Shohei Ohtani feeling healthy
Although Ohtani only had one hit in his first game — albeit an impressive opposite-field home run — he was more focused on how he felt in a return from left shoulder surgery.
“Regardless of the results, I think the biggest takeaway was being able to go through my three at-bats without any issues. Physically, I felt really good,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton.
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